The Ranger's Rest
by Wild Force Ranger
Summary: There's a lot of strange things about being a Ranger. Ranger's Rest is one of the strangest. There are no cliffhangers in this story; each chapter is complete on its' own.
1. Dom, Fran, RJ, background others

Title: The Ranger's Rest  
Rating: G  
Summary: There's a lot of strange things about being a Ranger. Ranger's Rest is one of the strangest.  
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, apart from the concept of Ranger's Rest.  
A/N: The first in possibly a series; bunnied from a prompt by rivulet027, though the actual prompt doesn't show up until the next part. Thanks angel_negra for cheering and lunaria_kitty for beta.

Fran loved her friends. She loved working with them, she loved covering for them, and she loved hanging out with them off the clock. But, well, they were all very physical people, and sometimes she just wanted to sit quietly and decompress. So sometimes, mostly on her days off, she wandered around Ocean Bluff until she saw a place that looked interesting or unusual, somewhere she could relax without her team.

That was how she found the Ranger's Rest.

It was down a quiet side street, almost hidden in an alcove. Fran had walked past it half a dozen times without really noticing it, and she'd have walked past again except that today, for some reason, the sign caught her eye.

A large man in a bright shirt nodded when she came in. "Sit wherever you like," he told her. "Be with you in a minute."

"Thank you!" She settled into a booth, looking around; it wasn't all that different from JKP in layout, if more brightly lit, but there was no sign of pizza on the handful of occupied tables.

A basket of fries landed on her table and she looked up in surprise. "I'm sorry, I didn't order those."

"No one ever orders them," the waitress agreed. "But everyone always wants 'em. Try one, they're good."

Fran obeyed, smiling. "They're great."

"Told you. What else can I get you? We have a pineapple-guava smoothie, very good."

"Sounds great, thank you. Anything but pizza." The waitress raised an eyebrow and Fran added quickly, "not that your pizza isn't great, because I'm sure it is, but it's just that I work in a pizza place and sometimes when I've been around it all day I just want something else, but I'm sure yours is delicious –"

"Breathe," the waitress ordered. "No pizza for the nervous girl. Got it. Enjoy your fries." Fran meekly took another handful of fries as the waitress wandered off.

A smoothie and a salad appeared after a while. Both were delicious, and Fran finished the book she'd had with her without anyone interrupting her.

That probably should have been her first clue. Fran worked in a restaurant, and there were noises that always made her look around – dropped cutlery, raised voices, trays falling. Nothing like that seemed to happen here.

She came back often after that. It wasn't exactly a secret – the Rangers knew she'd found a new hangout – but after some mild teasing from Dom, and a discussion with RJ about carrying her phone because Dai Shi might choose to attack her, none of them asked her and she didn't volunteer. It wasn't a secret, not really. She just liked having somewhere that was hers. In a surprisingly short time, it had become the place she automatically came to when she wanted some time alone. No one ever disturbed her here.

It took her a long time to figure out the secret behind Ranger's Rest. It wasn't until she finished her book one day and started people watching that she really started picking up on the oddities.

For one thing, no one ever paid. She'd managed to miss that; she was used to eating at JKP, of course, where RJ only remembered to charge anyone half the time anyway and hadn't charged her personally in years. But somehow, she'd missed the fact that she wasn't paying for food here, and neither was anyone else. The guy behind the bar and the waitress both had order pads, and they even wrote out bills, but they just ended up on a spike on the counter. No one else seemed to think this was strange.

The second thing took her longer to pin down. It wasn't until she noticed one particular patron that she really figured it out; because sometimes he had short hair, and sometimes he'd grown it out. He tended to sit alone, working on something, but he had a friendly word for everyone and sometimes he came in with a group, or with one particular other guy.

Fran nodded whenever she saw him, but she didn't speak to him until the day she saw him reading To Kill a Mockingbird. They talked about it over a basket of the really very tasty fries, and from then on they'd occasionally discuss each other's books. He was clever, her short-long-short man, and he always had good insights and opinions; eventually they started recommending books to each other, and she never failed to enjoy one he'd suggested.

There were two boys who always came in together; Fran had somehow learned they were adopted brothers, though she had no idea who'd told her that. They tended to keep to themselves when they came in; one actively glared at anyone who happened by, the other was polite but dismissive. Very, very rarely, she saw the polite one with a girl; the girl was much friendlier, though they were unmistakably a couple.

Sometimes the girl came in with two other boys. The first time she saw them Fran had felt bad for her boyfriend; but the three were unmistakeably friends, reminding her strongly of Casey, Lily and Theo – without the crush Theo was nursing, anyway.

Once – and only once – the girl had dragged in another guy. He'd tolerated it, and clearly done his best to have a good time, but at the end of the meal she'd laughingly declared it a failure and he hadn't been seen since. At least, not in her company; Fran was almost sure she'd seen him lurking in a far corner booth a few times.

There was a tall, lean man who always came in alone; he was cordial with the barman, polite but distant to the waitress, and ignored everyone else. Sometimes he played a solitary game of pool; sometimes he just ate and left. Fran sometimes caught his eye, and she'd get an acknowledgment, a tilt of his head or a finger to his forehead, but nothing else. She'd never tried to talk to him.

Very occasionally, he'd acknowledge the tall girl in the Air Force uniform. She never tried to talk to him, either, and if he was in she was always alone and reading; otherwise she had any of a revolving group of eight others with her, sometimes all at once. None of them ever met the pool player.

There was a young boy, the youngest she'd seen here, who came in unaccompanied every so often; he spent his time diligently studying out of a book. Fran had contrived to pass behind him once, and it wasn't even in English. It looked like kanji, though she wasn't familiar enough with any Asian writing system to say for sure. Whatever it was, his study seemed to consist of carefully copying particular symbols over and over.

The day his pencil broke, Fran had never seen a kid look so upset. Scrabbling in the bottom of her bag, she came up with another and passed it across to him; the smile on his face made her day, and if she took to carrying a spare pencil and a little notepad just in case, so what?

Sometimes an older boy would come in, usually accompanied by another guy. Complete opposites, those two; one so serious, one always goofing and flirting and dragging the girls in the room out to dance. Fran watched them together and started silently rejoicing when his loud antics drew a smile from his mostly silent friend. She even let herself be dragged out to dance, just for the chance to help draw out that smile.

There was a thin young man with curly hair; she only saw him once or twice, and only noticed him because he was nervous and talked even more than she did. He was always reluctant to leave, often hanging around to help tidy up or chatting unendingly at whoever happened to be around.

There were groups, too; a group of six, or sometimes five or four or seven, who were loud and cheerful and greeted the waitress, but not the barman, by name. They somehow managed not to be annoying even as they laughed and yelled and one of them flirted with any girls who happened to be present; the occasional seventh of the group was clearly his girlfriend, but she only laughed when he flirted with other people, and he was so outrageous about it he clearly didn't mean anything. Fran had had some fun conversations with him, but he never seemed to recognise her from one time to the next. She spent most of their conversations now teaching him perfectly normal phrases that he never seemed to recognise.

There was a group of three, or sometimes four, who compared the place to another cafe and ordered bizarrely named drinks that were somehow always delivered. Their occasional fourth was a waiter, Fran gathered, and he usually managed to be the one sent to fetch their drinks or meals, no matter how much he protested that he came out with them to get away from work. Sometimes the sole girl in the group helped him out; sometimes she berated the other boys into doing it; sometimes he was left to fend for himself. Fran got in the habit, on the days he looked extra tired, of checking whether there was anything for them if she was coming from the bar to her booth; she really didn't mind, and he seemed like he had enough to worry about without bothering about his friends' drinks as well.

Sometimes he came in on his own, and he always sat alone and brooded. Fran often asked for something to be sent to his table, a pastry or a treat of some kind; it made him smile and look less tired, less as though the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

There was a group of five, or sometimes six, usually in matching jackets. Their occasional sixth really was occasional; Fran rarely saw him. When he was there, one of the girls tended to sit with him or stay close to him, and he glared whenever anyone tried to flirt with her. Fran occasionally caught the flirt's attention accidentally-on-purpose to spare him; no one here ever made her feel threatened, or like they were out for anything more than a dance or conversation.

If he wasn't with the group, the others tended to fill in despite the girl's occasional exasperation. Sometimes the other girl distracted them, or the guys started loud conversations, mostly about flying or swimming. Once or twice the guy in the cowboy hat had actually sent people away.

Once or twice their sixth came in on his own. He was always tired and grimy, and ate as though he was starving; but he never lingered, only eating and leaving.

There were plenty of others, some who were in all the time, some she only saw once or twice. There was a group of ten or twelve who came in in varying combinations, including her short-long-short man. There was a group who came in in some kind of military uniform; there was a group with a complete mix, including one in a Sheena outfit and one in a biker's jacket. There were people who were wearing really well made Halloween costumes all year, for some reason.

Because Fran was naturally curious, she started keeping notes. Because she wasn't stupid, she disguised them; she sprinkled them in with other topics, she used code words that made sense in context, she disguised them as song lyrics or quotes from books. Her friends were curious but accepting, and after the first couple of times Dominic stopped trying to decipher them.

RJ raised an eyebrow when she asked about earlier Ranger teams, but he didn't question it and two days later she had a DVD put together from his files. "Make sure no one knows you have it," he told her, "and I'll need it back when you're done."

"Got it." She smiled at him. "Thanks, RJ."

"You ok, Frannie?"

She smiled again. "Course, RJ. I'm just curious. I mean, you guys are what, the fifteenth team? I'd like to know about the other ones."

"Have fun." He was still watching her oddly when she left.

Fran watched the DVD that night, frequently pausing to refer to her notes. The next day she returned it to RJ, brushed off his enquiries about whether she'd learned anything, and headed straight for Ranger's Rest.

For the first time ever it was empty, lights low and music very soft. The waitress was desultorily sweeping under the pool table, and the barman was wiping at a spill on the counter.

Fran marched up to him, folding her arms. "Is this place even real?" she demanded.

He raised an eyebrow. " 'Real' is not easy to define, Fran."

She didn't remember telling him her name. She didn't remember telling any of them her name. "What would happen if I brought my team here?"

"This isn't the kind of place you bring people."

"I see groups coming in all the time!"

"This isn't the kind of place you bring people."

She caught the emphasis that time and blushed. "What, just because I'm not a Power Ranger? You're not a Power Ranger either, and neither is she! And neither is the kid with the book, or the little nervous one, unless they're going to be one in the future or something, because this place moves in time or the door isn't in the same time as the building or something, I haven't quite worked it out..."

"Breathe, Fran," the waitress interrupted her, amused. "You are a smart one, aren't you? Told you," she added to the barman.

"Yes, you're brilliant," he agreed. "We knew there was a reason."

"A reason for what?" Fran demanded.

"A reason you came here," he told her. "You're the only non-Ranger has ever come in here."

"The only...?" she repeated.

"So far," he corrected himself. "We've had a lot of Rangers, but there's only ever been the two of us until you started coming here."

"And how long ago was that?" Fran asked quickly.

The waitress laughed delightedly. "Well done," she said with a grin. "You're right; it's different in here. They come here when they need to; they relax, they eat something. If they need company they're with someone, or they find someone here. If they need to be alone, they're left alone. They spend as long as they have to here, and they return to the world at the time and place they need to be."

"And they don't remember it," Fran filled in.

"They don't remember specifics," the barman agreed. "But they remember that they had a good time; a fun lunch with friends, or a dance with a pretty girl, or a quiet time alone to unwind and decompress. They feel better for it. This is a resting place, and they find it when they need it. And when they need it again, it's there."

"I don't understand," Fran protested. "If it's Rangers only –"

"And future Rangers," the waitress reminded her. "We've watched some of them grow up. Or – down. It's hard when the timelines don't line up."

"I'm not a Ranger! I'm not Ranger material! I wouldn't know what to do!"

"Breathe," the barman told her. "You're not a Ranger."

"You didn't realise?" the waitress asked, smiling again. "You're staff, Fran."

"I'm...what?"

"We've been watching you," the barman said. "You've been helping them in a hundred tiny ways; you talk books or find a pencil or distract the teasing or whatever. Little things add up, you know; a dozen tiny things can make for a much better day than one big thing."

"But I haven't even – I've never even spoken to most of them!"

She glanced at the pool table without thinking. The waitress followed her gaze, shaking her head. "He doesn't want company, and he doesn't need it. Neither does the one in the corner booth, or the quiet one – other than his friend, anyway. You've never gone near them because they don't need conversation; just the presence of other people. They need to be alone in a crowd and that's what you give them."

"What happens if I walk out now?" Fran asked. "Because this is a lot, and I'm not sure...I think maybe I'll walk out."

"You can do that," the barman agreed. "People only stay as long as they need. But just remember, a pencil at the right time can make all the difference."

"Can I come back? If I leave now?"

"Ranger's Rest is always here when it's needed, Fran."

Fran nodded, and left, and for days and days afterwards she didn't go near the Ranger's Rest. Her team noticed. Of course they did. But none of them said anything; Lily took her shopping, and Casey sat with her at lunch, and Theo mumbled through a conversation that she only realised later had been an offer to hurt whoever had upset her.

RJ didn't say a word. Neither did Dom, but his silence seemed different.

Fran was working in the kitchen one day when RJ breezed in. He grabbed a ball of dough and started working beside her, idly discussing his latest experiment.

"Are you in trouble, Frannie?" he asked eventually.

"What? No, of course not. Why do you ask?"

"Well, you've been quiet, you've been upset, you've been avoiding that cafe you liked so much, and you're putting chocolate chips on that Hawaiian."

Fran glanced down in dismay. "Oh. I keep doing that. I'm sorry, RJ."

"That's all right. Save it, I'll eat it later. Fran?"

"I'm not in trouble."

He considered her for a moment before nodding. "Well, all right then. Shall I make the Hawaiian?"

On impulse, Fran threw her arms around him for a hug. RJ laughed softly, returning it. "Not that I don't like a good hug, but what's the occasion?"

"Because you believed me. The others all think I'm hiding something terrible."

"They worry about you. But I know you'd come tell us if something awful had happened."

"Of course I would. RJ, can I ask you a hypothetical?"

"I love a good hypothetical."

"Is..." She shook her head. "Actually, no. I'm going to ask Dom."

"Also a good choice. Run along, now."

"Thanks, RJ." She grinned, stripping her apron off and heading for the door.

Dominic was working, but it wasn't hard to persuade him to take a break, and Casey agreed to cover for him with only a token protest. Fran took him to sit outside, away from any customers or overzealous teammates.

"How can I help?" Dominic asked, watching her.

"I have a hypothetical."

"Shoot."

"Do you think..." She twisted her fingers together, watching them. "Do lots of little good things make you happier than one big good thing?"

"Can I get an example?"

"Like – someone gives you a pencil when yours breaks, or you're a dollar short and the next customer pays, or someone sees you need to be alone and makes sure you're not disturbed..."

"Or a pretty girl smiles back at you?" Dominic was smiling, she thought, though she was still watching her fingers. "Yeah. Little things can mean a lot; they can turn your day completely around. You know that, one nice customer can make up for five bad ones."

Fran nodded slowly. "Right. I hadn't thought of that. Thank you. I'm going to go for a walk."

Dominic scrambled to his feet. "Can I come? Please," he added quickly. "I'll be quiet."

"You're working."

"Eh, I'm nearly done today. Anyway, no one's going to argue if I tell them I was gone with you."

Fran smiled slightly. "No?"

"We're worried about you."

"I'm fine. I promise. Come if you want, but I'm probably just going to walk around."

"Cool. Let me tell Case, and I'll grab a couple jackets."

They did end up just walking around. Fran even brought them down the side street, but Dominic didn't notice the Ranger's Rest sign and she didn't feel any impulse to test what would happen if she brought him to the door. Anyway, walking with Dominic was fun; he couldn't keep quiet for longer than half a block, but he was funny and sweet and, perhaps inspired by their conversation, he kept doing things like dropping money for people to find and holding doors for people and smiling at anyone who looked tired. Fran was a lot happier by the time they got back to JKP, and even Theo didn't argue their absence.

Well, not much, anyway.

She still didn't go back to Ranger's Rest. It wasn't really deliberate, this time; Dai Shi sent several monsters on each other's heels, and she spent a lot of time covering for her exhausted teammates. Even when the restaurant was closed she stayed around, cooking and fetching and cheering them up any way she could think of.

Dom smiled at her at one point, accepting the cup of tea she'd been bringing him. "Just so you know?" He lifted the cup. "Little happy thing."

"Are you happy?"

"Yeah." He glanced up as Casey bobbled a punch, getting a sharp reprimand from Theo and replying just as sharply. "Well, sort of."

Fran didn't realise she'd made the decision until she was already speaking. "Come out to lunch with me."

"What?"

"Out. Lunch. Me. With?"

"Why?"

She shrugged. "Because it's good to get away. And I'd like to show you."

Dominic's eyebrows went up. "I get to see the secret hideaway? Awesome. I'm there."

"Good. Go and distract Theo for a bit."

"Aw, can't I distract Casey instead?"

"No. I'm distracting Casey. Go!"

Dominic pouted, but he went and sparred with Theo for most of the next hour. Fran took Casey into the restaurant to 'tidy' and instead chatted for the hour, letting him lead the conversation. He didn't talk about anything Ranger related, but he seemed lighter when Dominic came to find her and he smiled as they left.

"So where are we going?" Dominic asked.

Fran smiled. "I want to see if you can guess. When you see the sign, you'll know it."

"Treasure hunt. Excellent." He caught her eye and added more seriously, "If you want to go somewhere else..."

"I want you to see this place."

He didn't argue again, only chatted as she led him down the side street. For a moment she thought he wasn't going to see the sign; then he blinked, shaking his head, and laughed. "Really, Fran? You don't get enough of this on a regular basis?"

"There's not as much rest at JKP." She smiled, taking his hand, and drew him through the door of the Ranger's Rest.


	2. Adam, Fran, Dom, background others

Author's note: Still not mine. Feel free to leave ideas or requests for what Rangers you'd like to see meeting up.

The Ranger's Rest

Adam glanced up as the door opened, smiling quietly when Fran came in. He looked across the room to find Zhane watching as well; the Silver Ranger made a face at him before turning to flag down the waitress. Adam's winnings would be with him shortly.

Fran had a guy with her. Adam flicked a gaze at him, taking in stance and movement and the hand placed firmly in the middle of Fran's back, and nodded to himself. She could do a lot worse than a Ranger boyfriend.

His fries arrived and he nodded to Zhane. Juvenile thing to bet on, really, but there had to be some advantages to being one of the few who retained the memory of Ranger's Rest. Tommy remembered, Adam knew, but he rarely visited. Zhane remembered some things, but he never remembered meeting anyone out of linear time; he'd had half a dozen conversations with Adam that he'd promptly forgotten, and he hardly ever remember Fran because as staff, she arrived to suit the Rangers no matter where she was on her timeline. He thought the quiet Samurai – the one with the boisterous friend – might remember as well. He was several years ahead of Adam's timeline, though, so he'd never spoken to him. When he caught up, perhaps he'd strike up a conversation. Just to find out.

He never saw Kira after he'd met her, only with her team while they were active. Bridge came in sometimes, mostly with his team, but his timeline had always been so weird it was hard to tell what part of it he was in. And it wasn't like Bridge had ever been shy anyway, so his willingness to come and talk to Adam wasn't a reliable measurement.

Tori smiled at him sometimes, but she never came in alone. She was always with at least one of her team, even well after they'd retired. Xander was always an active Ranger and always with his team; Adam saw the Red Ranger from that team, often with one or both parents, after he'd retired, and Chip was a regular and mostly remembered, but Xander never came in after retiring.

Fran's boyfriend had claimed a central table rather than her usual booth. Adam smiled, hauling himself out of his booth and mentally running through what he knew of Fran's team. It had taken him a while to figure her out; allies were always harder to track than Rangers - but he'd worked it out in the end.

He grabbed a basket of fries from the counter and dropped them on Fran's table, sitting down. "Hey, Fran."

"Adam," she said in surprise. "I didn't see you. This is Dominic. Dom, Adam's a regular here."

"These are awesome," Dominic said with a grin, waving a fry. "Nice to meet you, Adam."

"It's nice to meet you." Adam held out his hand and Dominic took it automatically. "White Rhino."

Dominic was good. His grip didn't tighten or loosen, and his expression didn't change. "I'm sorry?"

Adam turned their clasped hands to show Dominic's morpher, currently masquerading as a bracelet. "White Rhino." Turning them the other way to show his communicator, he added, "Mastodon."

Dominic tilted his head towards Fran without looking away. "Is this 'haze the new guy' or something? Cos I'm not getting it."

"The first Ranger team on Earth were dinosaur spirits," Fran explained. "Adam's Earth's second Black Ranger."

"Mastodon's not a dinosaur."

"I'm also a frog, if that helps," Adam offered, letting go of Dominic and sitting back.

"Not a dinosaur either."

"Dom," Fran murmured.

Dominic glanced at her, smiling abruptly. "So Ranger's Rest; not just a weirdly appropriate name."

"A lot of us come here," Adam agreed. "We don't usually talk about work, though."

"I didn't know there were that many former Rangers in Ocean Bluff." He shrugged, brushing it off. "What are you reading?"

"To Kill a Mockingbird." He caught Fran's eye, smiling; it was the first book they'd discussed, and one he often returned to. "Have you read it?"

"No." Dominic took it, scanning the back cover.

"You didn't study it in high school?" Fran asked, and then winced.

"Non traditional schooling," Dominic said automatically. "Breathe, Fran." He passed the book back to Adam. "It sounds good."

"I'll loan you mine, if you like," Fran offered.

"Thanks." He took a handful of fries, grinning at her before turning back to Adam. "Have you read Lord of the Rings? I was in New Zealand a couple of years ago, I got to see some of the locations they used in the movies. It was fantastic."

Max's head appeared over a nearby booth. "You were in New Zealand?" he demanded.

"Yeah." Dominic blinked as Danny's head appeared alongside Max's. "Two or three years ago."

"Hey, us too! Maybe we met each other!" He scrambled out of the booth, taking the seat next to Adam. "Did you do the tour or go around on your own?"

Danny ambled over, smiling politely to Fran. Fran returned the smile but sent a rather alarmed look at Adam, who just shrugged. Dominic was the Ranger; if he wasn't up for company, Max wouldn't have overheard him.

Fran echoed the shrug, probably coming to the same conclusion, and jumped into the next gap in the conversation. "Dominic, this is Max and...sorry."

"Danny Delgado," he filled in. "It's great to meet you. Did you like the movies?"

"I wish they hadn't cut out Tom Bombadil," Dominic said. "He would have been great. And Arwen got too much of other people's storylines. But yeah, I did like it."

Carlos abruptly appeared behind Danny, nodding at Adam. "I heard someone mention Lord of the Rings."

"We're debating books versus film." Dominic's eyes flickered over his wrist. "Pull up a chair if you like." Belatedly he looked at Fran, who nodded agreement.

"Who wants anything from the bar?" Adam asked, standing. Danny and Max both spoke up; Carlos added his order with a smile. Dominic waved him off, and Fran stood, coming around the table to join him.

Adam gave their order and leaned against the counter, watching Fran. "He won't remember, you know."

Fran frowned, studying him. "You're not staff. I thought Rangers didn't remember."

"I've been a Ranger a long time. Some of us never stop. But you're right. Most Rangers don't remember when they leave. Dominic won't."

"You can tell?"

"More or less. You'll learn. Rough week?"

"Oh, yeah. Rough week."

Adam followed her gaze back to Dominic; he was loudly arguing with the young samurai boy, who'd put his book down for once to turn around and join in. "Ranger's Rest will help him."

"I thought it would." She turned to pick up their order, heading back towards the table and passing drinks around with a smile. Adam followed, derailing Dominic's argument with a question about The Hobbit.

Danny and Max left after a while, and the Samurai boy – Adam reminded himself, again, to find a way to find out his name – checked his watch and hurried off. Rose arrived and promptly jumped into the conversation; she didn't recognise Adam, though she was wearing her uniform. He wondered idly how long it would be until they met.

Adam was getting ready to leave when Kelsey arrived; he glanced over, smiling, and she returned the smile automatically. Kelsey never remembered anything, but he never had any problem chatting to her anyway.

"Settle a bet?" he called across, and she came to join them, curious. "Lord of the Rings. Books or movies?"

"I never read the books," she admitted. Dominic started to answer, but his face twisted and he dramatically clapped a hand over his mouth. Adam glanced at Fran, grinning.

"Ok," he said easily, turning back to Kelsey. "To Kill a Mockingbird, same question."

"Oooh." She absently pulled up a chair, considering. "I don't know. I like the extra back story in the book, but the movie was so well done."

"I've really got to read this book," Dominic said thoughtfully. "I'm Dominic, by the way."

"Kelsey."

"Fran," she offered, "and this is Rose."

"Adam, and I'm leaving. People to see, things to do."

"And miles to go?" Fran asked.

"Something like that." He stood, grinning around at the table. "I'll see you all again. Bye." He caught Fran's eye, smiling, and she bowed her head briefly before turning back to discussing To Kill a Mockingbird with Dominic.

Adam waved to the bartender on his way out, smiling at a burst of laughter from Fran's table. It was good to hear, and if Dominic remembered nothing else from the visit, Adam hoped he remembered that moment.

He stepped out into Angel Grove and headed for home.


	3. Merrick, Jayden, Cole, background Samura

Author's note: Chapter three! Chylea, Tommy's in the next one and I'm camoing Kat in a later one just for you. I'll work on Jason. :D

Chapter Three

Merrick lined up a shot, watching as the ball bounced off the cushion beside the pocket. Without the Power to improve his aim and coordination, he missed an occasional shot. Not often; he was still a trained warrior, after all. But every now and then, enough to make it interesting.

He sensed the shift in the room as someone new came in. Drifting around the table to consider another angle, he let his gaze flick up towards the door.

Huh. The silent Samurai and his friend had brought others. He'd been starting to think they were a duo, not a team; unusual, but not unheard of in Ranger history.

He wondered vaguely what they were seeing as they approached the bar. For him Ranger's Rest always looked a little like Willie's, but everyone perceived it differently.

Merrick lined up another shot, nodding in satisfaction when this one went in.

"No," the green ranger was saying firmly, trying to drag one of his teammates away from the counter.

The girl in pink twisted against him. "But look, all the ingredients are there! It'll just take a minute!"

"You can't do the cooking in a restaurant, Mia. That's kind of the whole point." He looked at the others for help.

"If you tell them the recipe, maybe they'll make it," the yellow ranger suggested.

"But I wanted to make it for you."

"Hey, pool!" the loud one proclaimed loudly. "Come on, Mia, let's have a go!"

"Antonio, someone's using it," she protested, but he dragged her over anyway.

"Care for a match, sir?" he asked politely.

Merrick leaned on his cue, considering them. Active Rangers, but from the way Mia was studying the table she'd never played before. Behind them the others had settled at a table, chatting quietly.

"Sure." He reached under the table for the triangle. "Both of you?"

"Oh no," Mia said quickly, backing away. "I'll just watch."

"Don't be silly." Antonio caught her arm, reeling her back in. "It'll be fun. We're just playing for fun, right?" he added, turning back to Merrick.

"Sure." Merrick smiled. It didn't reassure Mia, but she stopped trying to get away at least. "Merrick."

"Antonio, and Mia." He gestured towards his team. "Emily, Kevin and Mike, and Jayden."

Merrick nodded absently. So the silent Samurai was Jayden. Meeting his gaze, he nodded again. Jayden definitely remembered.

Antonio was testing the various cues; eventually settling on one, he passed it to Mia. She held it like a weapon and Merrick smiled faintly, holding up his own. "Like this." She copied him and he nodded. "Good. Do you want to go first?"

She came around to the head of the table; Merrick backed off, letting Antonio show her what to do.

"Antonio!" Mike, or possibly Kevin, bounced out of his seat to join them. "What are you doing? She'll never hit anything like that!"

"Thanks, Mike," Mia muttered.

"Seriously. Your grip's all wrong. Like this." He leaned over her to rearrange her grip.

"I can't move my fingers."

"That's fine. You don't want them to move. Kevin, will you tell her this is right?"

Kevin shrugged. "I swim. I don't play pool."

Mike twisted to look at Merrick. "Can we get a practise shot?"

Merrick waved him off, leaning against the wall to watch. Mike and Kevin argued over the shot until Mia got impatient, pushed them aside and took it herself. It wasn't half bad, Merrick noted professionally, but she didn't actually pot anything and the boys immediately started arguing about how she could do better.

"I'm sorry."

Merrick turned to see Jayden behind him, one shoulder propped against the wall. "What are you sorry for?"

"We've kind of taken over your game."

Merrick looked back in time to see Antonio snatch the cue away from Mike and brandish it threateningly at him. "I was only passing time."

"I've seen you here before."

Jayden's tone was odd, and Merrick turned to look at him fully, thinking quickly.

Jayden remembered. Antonio didn't. Jayden had never been here with anyone else. Merrick thought he was behind them – Tommy Oliver's team was active at the moment, and he didn't remember a Samurai team – but he was willing to bet that Jayden's team hadn't met any other Rangers. Jayden had literally no one to talk to about Ranger's Rest.

"Yes," he said finally. "I've seen you with Antonio."

Jayden nodded, clearly relieved. "He likes the name, when he sees the sign."

"Don't," Merrick told him.

"I'm sorry?"

"We don't talk about Ranger's Rest." Even that much was hard to say. They might remember, but Ranger's Rest didn't like to be talked about, especially in earshot of Rangers who didn't remember.

Even if they were occupied fighting over the pool table.

"I don't need to talk about it. I understand, what it is. I'm just – I can't pick out the ones who know."

"That'll come. There aren't many of us."

Mike yelled in outrage behind them. Merrick didn't turn, but Jayden was smiling at whatever his teammates were doing.

He suddenly reminded Merrick very strongly of Cole. The wave of recognition was so powerful he looked around, expecting to see the Lion Ranger watching them.

Foolish, he berated himself. He never saw anyone but Taylor here. And Jayden wasn't anything like Cole. Antonio was a much better match for the Lion Ranger.

"Are you all right?" Jayden was watching him, and _there_. The flare of empathy in his eyes made Merrick think of Cole again. "You've gone somewhere."

"It's nothing. You remind me of someone."

Jayden looked past him again. "Your team?"

"My team's leader, yes."

"You're not with them."

"I'm travelling, at the moment."

"Antonio!" Jayden said abruptly. Merrick turned in time to see the innocent look on the Gold Ranger's face. "Just put it down and step away from the table."

"Is that a challenge?" Antonio grinned, wide and unrestrained. "That sounds like a challenge."

"You haven't let Merrick take one shot yet," Jayden pointed out. Merrick glanced at the table; they'd gotten halfway through a game, more or less. "I thought you were playing against him."

"So did I, but you two are busy being all secret and important in the corner there."

Very like Cole, Merrick thought, except that Antonio seemed to have some grasp of subtlety.

"Sorry." The yellow one – Emily, Merrick remembered after a moment's thought – smiled apologetically. "We're kind of hogging the table."

Merrick bowed briefly. "I was only passing time. It really doesn't matter." Something tweaked at the edge of his perception and he half turned, offering his cue to Jayden. "It's time I was going, anyway. Please enjoy the game."

"Are you sure?" Jayden took the cue, slinging it absently across his shoulders. "We didn't mean to chase you away."

"You haven't. I have somewhere to go." He relented at the look in Jayden's eyes; Jayden knew as well as he did that it didn't matter how long he stayed here, after all. "Next time, I'll play you. Leave the children at home."

Mike and Antonio protested, but Jayden was smiling. "I will. I'll see you then, Merrick."

"Nice to meet you." Turning, he added, "All of you."

He glanced back from the door. Jayden was still watching him, but Antonio was at his shoulder, talking quietly. After a moment Jayden let himself be distracted, turning to follow Antonio back to his team.

"It's good to see you talk to someone," the barman commented. Merrick glanced at him and he smiled placidly. "Bit of human contact every now and then does you good."

"We'll see." He tipped his forehead in a salute and headed out.

It was some time before Merrick visited the Ranger's Rest again. Not deliberately; he and Zen Aku kept away from towns and cities around the full moon. The Wolf Org was reformed, but he was still a wolf, and Merrick remembered the thrill of the hunt so powerfully it ached sometimes. This full moon they'd hiked high into the Black Hills in Dakota, and it was almost two weeks before they came back to a town large enough for him to find an entrance to Ranger's Rest.

For the first time in a while, the place was almost deserted, and Merrick had time to wonder why that made him uneasy before he realised.

Cole was sprawled on a stool at the bar, laughing with the barman.

Merrick considered leaving, but Cole was already turning, alerted by something. "Merrick," he said in surprise, sliding off his stool. "What are you doing here?"

Adam always knew when anyone was coming from, relative to his own timeline. Cam always knew what team they'd been on, or would be on, though he never talked about anyone who hadn't actually become a Ranger yet. Jayden would have some kind of knowledge, Merrick knew.

His own talent was in knowing who would remember and who wouldn't. All it took was meeting their eyes. And he was staring at Cole now.

Cole wouldn't remember. It surprised Merrick; the Lion Ranger was so empathetic Merrick had expected him to retain something. But he wouldn't. Merrick could already see him brushing off the little inconsistencies of Ranger's Rest. That was how it was supposed to work, of course. Most Rangers never noticed anything odd about the place.

"Passing through," he said finally, heading for a booth. Cole followed him automatically, sliding in across from him.

"I can't believe you're here."

"I'm passing through," he said again. "I'm not staying, Cole."

"You'll see the others...?"

"I saw Taylor," he offered.

"She didn't say anything to me."

"No."

Cole leaned forward, watching him. "Are you all right?"

"Of course I am."

Cole tilted his head, concentrating. Merrick waited patiently; at least Cole seemed to have learned to do it with his eyes open.

"You are all right," Cole murmured. "But lonely, Merrick."

"That's why I came here," Merrick pointed out. "I'm not travelling alone. You know that?"

"Yeah." Cole leaned back again. "You trust him?"

"Yes. He's – we're the same."

"You're not, you know."

"Cole..." Merrick shook his head.

A basket of fries appeared and he smiled automatically at the waitress. "Thank you."

"Sure," she agreed. "Anything else?"

"No. Thank you."

Cole started to speak again, but Merrick shook his head. "Tell me what the others have been doing."

"I thought you talked with Taylor."

"I saw Taylor."

Cole smiled suddenly. "That sounds like Taylor."

They talked about the team. It surprised Merrick, how much he enjoyed hearing about Alyssa's school work, and Danny and Max's work at the flower shop. Cole knew a little of what the Silver Guardians were doing, too, and passed it on. Merrick had never exactly been friendly with Wes and Eric, but it was good to hear about them anyway.

Merrick talked a little bit about what he'd been doing. Cole did his best not to react whenever Zen Aku was mentioned, but Merrick had learned to read his Red Ranger and after a while he stopped bringing him up.

"You should come see us," Cole said finally. "See the others."

"I will," Merrick agreed. "But not this time. I have commitments."

"But you'll come?"

"I will."

He meant it, too. Seeing Cole again had been mildly awkward, but not nearly as much as he'd been afraid. And, after all, he saw Taylor often enough. He could deal with the others.

Cole obviously read the truth of the statement, because he grinned. "Good. I'll be watching out for you." He offered his hand and Merrick took it easily. "See you around?"

"See you around," Merrick echoed.

Jayden wandered up to the booth a few minutes after Cole left, loitering uncertainly. "Your team leader?"

"Yes." Merrick pushed his glass away. "Are you alone?"

"Antonio's flirting with..." He frowned. "Glasses, pretty, kind of nervous..."

"Fran."

"Fran," he repeated. "Is – she's not a Ranger?"

Merrick leaned back, studying him. "Why do you say that?"

"Bec – " Jayden slid into Cole's vacated seat. "You're a wolf. The man who just left, he's a lion, and an empath. The man who sits near the door – "

"Adam," Merrick supplied.

"Is a mastodon, and a frog. Fran's not anything. Not the way you are."

So that was Jayden's knowledge.

"She's not a Ranger," Merrick agreed. "She's probably the only non Ranger you'll meet here. Apart from..." He gestured towards the bar. Jayden nodded, eyes distant. "Antonio came with you?"

"He usually does. My team doesn't like me being on my own, people keep trying to kill me. Once we get here he forgets, though."

"Ranger's Rest does that," Merrick agreed.

"Your Red Ranger was a lion?" Jayden asked after a moment of silence.

"Cole, yes. He's still a lion. The spirit doesn't go away when the Power does. Why?"

Jayden pulled a small box from his pocket, holding it out on his open palm. Merrick leaned forward, smiling involuntarily when it unfolded into a tiny Lion Zord, romping around the table.

"There was a Ninja Ranger who was a lion," he offered. "He was Yellow, though, not Red." The Lion came towards him, examining his hand curiously. "I think one of the space teams had a Lion, too."

"Was he a good leader?"

Merrick looked up, but Jayden was staring fixedly at the Zord. "We don't usually talk about work here," he said gently. Jayden nodded without looking up, and Merrick added, "He tried hard. Cole was new to being a Ranger, his team had more experience than him, but he tried and he worked hard and he never, ever gave up. He did whatever it took to protect his team, and they loved him for it."

"They?" Jayden repeated.

Merrick shook his head. "Long ago and far away."

"Not so far that he's forgotten you. He was worried. I could tell."

Jayden held out a hand and the Zord came back to him, climbing one arm and dodging around his neck when he grabbed for it. Merrick watched them play for a moment, thinking. There had to be a reason Jayden kept meeting him here.

"Why are they trying to kill you?"

Jayden looked up, startled. The Zord folded back into the box form in his hand. "I'm sorry?"

"You said your team doesn't like you being alone because people keep trying to kill you."

"Yes?"

"People. Not monsters."

"Oh." He looked away again.

Merrick sighed mentally. "You don't have to tell me."

"No talking about work," Jayden muttered, but Merrick ignored him.

"But it's easier, sometimes. I had – a place, to go, when I needed to work something out."

"And someone to listen to you?"

Merrick nodded, thinking of a young boy standing in a shaft of light. "He listened. He didn't always answer, but I know he listened. It was enough."

Jayden nodded slowly, watching Antonio talk with Fran. Merrick waited patiently, watching one of the other teams play pool; they were more interested in teasing each other than actually playing, but it was relaxing to watch.

Eventually Jayden turned back, pulling out his morpher and flipping it open. He started to do something with it before jerking back when a basket of fries dropped to the table; the morpher vanished completely.

"We didn't order those," Merrick said, unruffled.

The waitress glared at him. "No business in here."

"It's not business." She glared again, and he insisted "It's not business. Send Antonio and Fran a drink on me, will you?"

"A drink each," Jayden added quickly. She sighed and headed off, and Merrick snorted a laugh. "Does she do that often?"

"The ones who don't remember never talk about work in here. It just doesn't occur to them; that's the point of it. That's why Antonio doesn't watch you in here; he doesn't remember that he's supposed to, really." He jerked his head towards the bar. "They'd step in if you tried to talk work with someone who doesn't remember. They don't interfere between us, though."

"The rules are more complicated than I thought," Jayden murmured.

"You can forget, if you want. When you step in, make the choice. Sometimes it's easier. Sometimes it's necessary. We need this place. And only those of us who remember are ever aware of the rules." He watched until Jayden nodded, relaxing. "What did you want to show me?"

Jayden produced his morpher again, using a laser built into it to paint a symbol on the table surface. When he had completed it he used the morpher to flip it and it formed a sheet of paper.

"Symbol power," he said, looking up at Merrick. "You know the symbol, you have enough power, you can do pretty much anything. It's rare; my team and a handful of others. Antonio cheats, he wasn't born with the skill. He learned it so he could join, to help me."

Merrick touched the paper curiously. "Devotion like that is rare."

"I know," Jayden agreed. "There's a symbol; it'll lock our villain away forever, so he can never attack again. It's the only way to defeat him. And only a Red Ranger of my bloodline can use it. My father almost managed it; we had fifteen years – and the others know. I'll stop Xandred, or no one will." He twitched as he said it; he was leaving something out, or lying.

Merrick nodded slowly, ignoring the twitch. "So they protect you."

"Xandred knows who I am. And there's a man looking for a duel – long story," he added to Merrick's look. "My team keep getting between us, even when I tell them not to. Antonio keeps trying to talk Deker down whenever he comes after me."

"Deker obviously hasn't gotten to you yet."

"Not yet," Jayden agreed quietly.

Merrick sighed. He really wasn't any good at this. "There's a question in there somewhere, Jayden, but I'm missing it."

"There's no question."

"There's a question. What is it you want to ask me?" Jayden didn't answer, and he nodded. "You can talk to Adam. He remembers, and he's better at this than I am."

"No, that's not..." Jayden shook his head. "They're in danger because of me."

"They're in danger because they're Rangers."

"Because of oaths their grandfather's grandfathers made to my grandfather's grandfather. And protecting me leaves them vulnerable."

"They're Rangers," Merrick said again. "And they're your team. If you're asking me how to get them to stop..."

"A Red Ranger doesn't hide behind his team."

Ah. That was the issue.

"Our villain, Master Org, went for Cole several times. Over an evil he thought Cole's parents had done to him. We protected him. Cole was an excellent fighter and we knew he could handle himself, but it wasn't about that. They protected me, when I needed it, and when Alyssa needed it we helped her, and Taylor and Danny and Max – you help your teammates."

"I'm Red Ranger..."

"It's a colour. Not an invincibility suit. You're their leader, that doesn't mean you can dictate their choices. If they protect you it's because they choose to and they accept the consequences. Stop thinking of yourself as a burden to them."

"I don't want them to get hurt."

"None of us ever want anyone to get hurt. Jayden, do you know much Ranger history?"

"Some."

"Evil Rangers?"

"Some," Jayden repeated.

"I nearly killed my team." Merrick was deliberately blunt; he didn't want Jayden thinking too deeply about this, only listening. "I was possessed, and when they freed me they invited me onto the team. The being who possessed me returned to claim me, and they wanted to help me fight. I refused. I yelled at them, I was cruel, I physically pushed Alyssa away after she saved my life. I was determined that they would not risk themselves fighting my demons."

"And?" Jayden asked quietly.

"They ignored me. Followed me and fought anyway. It was good; I needed them." He leaned forward, catching and holding Jayden's gaze. "Rangers fight in teams for a reason, Jayden. We're not meant to be on our own."

"You're on your own now."

He smiled faintly, shaking his head. "I'm not a Ranger any more."

"Once a Ranger, always a Ranger."

Antonio appeared suddenly, sliding into the booth beside Jayden. "What are you two doing over here, all secret and important? Oooh, fries."

Jayden smiled, pushing the basket towards him. "Eating fries. Don't tell Kevin. Antonio, Merrick."

"Pleasure," Antonio murmured. "I'd shake your hand, but I'm all fry-y."

"I'll live," Merrick said dryly. "Jayden, I believe I offered to play you at pool."

"Oooh, a challenge!" Antonio grinned. "Come on, Jay, let's show him how we do it, huh?"

"Yeah." Jayden grinned. "That sounds good."

Merrick stood, sweeping out his arm towards the table. "After you, then."

Antonio brought the fries with him, settling at a table to cheer them on. Jayden had clearly never played before, but he caught on quickly and within half a game Merrick was having to watch very closely. They stopped keeping score after a while, playing for the fun of it. Jayden was clearly enjoying himself, worries pushed to one side for a while, and Merrick was quietly satisfied with that.

The Rangers who remembered all had a role to play in Ranger's Rest. Merrick had avoided his for a long time; but if this was it, advice to other Rangers, he could deal with it.

Jayden potted the last ball and looked up, cheeks flushed and eyes bright. "One more?"

Merrick smiled. "One more."


	4. Adam, Tommy, background Dinos and others

Chapter Four

There were a lot of fantastic things about being a Ranger. Tommy had never regretted stepping up, all the times he'd been called. It had always been an honour to serve.

But there were parts he'd been happy to leave behind, too. Not just the obvious ones, either. After all, no Ranger he'd ever met liked being thrown around the place or constantly lying to friends and family.

He'd avoided thinking about this issue for years, buried it so successfully that it didn't even register the first time his kids talked about it. It wasn't until the second time Kira mentioned 'that new place, what's-its-name' that his hackles went up.

"New place?" he asked as casually as he could.

"Didn't you hear? The Cyber Cafe doesn't do it for them any more," Hayley said cheerfully.

"We just thought we'd try somewhere else," Kira said, rolling her eyes. "Specially on Trent's day off."

"I guess I can understand that," Tommy agreed. "Where'd you go?"

"Some little place with a weird name..."

"Ranger's Rest," Conner offered. Tommy looked sharply at him and he shrugged. "Thought it was appropriate."

"Huh. Well, say something nice to Hayley so she doesn't feel unappreciated. I've gotta go, I'll see you later."

He wandered the town for a while without paying attention to where he was going. When he finally looked up, he smiled faintly; the entrance to Ranger's Rest was nestled in an alcove in front of him.

"All right," he murmured. "I can take a hint." Shoving his hands into his pockets, he wandered towards it.

It didn't look like the Youth Centre anymore. Tommy could still see traces of the old layout, but this was a much more adult space, with a bar on one side and a pool table towards the back.

"Hey, Tommy. Been expecting you."

He waved absently, still studying the changes. "They serve alcohol here now?"

"On occasion. We're old enough, after all, most of the time. Not right now, though. Minor in the building."

Tommy found him after a moment, a boy or seven or eight sitting near the bar and studying from a large book. "He's a Ranger?"

"He will be. I've seen him with his team. You can't tell?"

"I'm not trying," Tommy muttered, glancing around at the handful of occupied tables and booths. He recognised about half the people, but there were others he didn't know, and he grieved silently for a moment. Clearly Earth would need Rangers for a long time to come.

He sank into one side of the booth closest to the door. Whatever the decor and layout, this booth was always here, and only one person ever used it. "Hey, Adam."

"Been a while."

"Longer for you than for me." Tommy studied him, frowning. "You're older than I am."

"I've always been older than you."

"_Adam_."

He smiled faintly. "Yeah. I'm a couple of years ahead of you."

"But you're active."

"So are you."

"Yeah, using a new power! Not a morpher that nearly killed me last time I used it!"

Adam raised an eyebrow. Tommy sat back, scrubbing a hand over his face. "Sorry. Some habits are hard to break. You're still my team."

"Yeah." Adam reached around to the small of his back, producing a morpher and laying it on the table between them. Tommy's fingers twitched towards it. "The last time I used this, it hadn't been repaired and recharged by an intergalactic force for good so I could lead a mission."

"Active." Tommy laughed softly. "That must have been some mission."

"Had its moments," Adam agreed. "You and me, we were meant to be Rangers. We're never going to refuse. I don't have a team, anymore, and I'm not fighting, but..." He leaned forward, eyes bright. "I got to make a difference again, Tommy."

"Big fight?"

"End of the world."

"Sounds about right." Tommy grimaced. "How do you deal, Adam?"

"With the Power?"

"No." Tommy sat forward again. "I'm younger than you. I could walk out of here and call you, warn you that this will happen."

"You could, but you won't."

"No?"

"No." Adam smiled, supremely confident.

"No," Tommy admitted. "I won't. But...I know this is going to happen. How can – how do you do it? You always know." He glanced at the young boy again. "How long until he..."

"A little over ten years for him. Eight, give or take, for you. Four or five for me. How long's he going to fight?"

"Two years, more or less," Tommy murmured. "Family power; he inherited it and he'll pass it on afterwards." Smiling, he added, "Samurai. Cam'll be pissed."

"He already knows, he saw the team here one day. Merrick seems to have adopted them."

"Merrick," Tommy repeated in surprise. "Huh."

"Yeah, I know; of all the people, right? But their Red Ranger remembers, and I wasn't here to talk to him, so Merrick did, and I think they're kind of friends now."

"It's tough being the only one on a team who remembers. Conner remembered the name."

Adam shook his head. "He doesn't remember anything else. I've seen him in here a few times."

"Yeah, I figured. Conner's not quiet when he doesn't understand something. I'd have heard about it already." He reached out, touching the morpher with one finger. "Guess that explains why you always read funny to me."

"Hard to tell when I'll give up my power if I never do, I guess," Adam agreed. "Is that why you stopped coming in?"

"What?"

"Is that why you stopped coming in," Adam repeated. "Longest serving Ranger in Earth's history, but once we passed the Turbo powers you stopped coming in."

"Once we passed the Turbo powers I started –" Tommy gestured loosely. "You know, that's when you started seeing things too."

"Seeing things," Adam repeated with a faint smile. "Is that what you call it?"

"I saw Trent in here before I knew him. He's going to lose his power; it'll be ripped away from him. And now he's on my team and he's trying so hard to – and I know how it's going to end."

"No you don't."

"I just said..."

"You know _that_ it's going to end. You don't know the circumstances, or the exact timing. Ranger's Rest isn't here for you to fix things, Tommy, it's here for you to forget about things." Adam sat back. "How long does he hold the Power?"

"Less than a year."

"I've seen your kids in here after that. Whatever happens, it doesn't hurt them. Not any more than losing the Power always does." Adam tilted his head. "I saw your team in action a couple of times. Trent's White?"

"Drago."

"An evil White Ranger. That must have brought back some memories."

"I wasn't evil when I was White," Tommy said mildly.

Adam made a face at him. "An evil Drago Ranger. That must have brought back some memories. Spell, raised evil or possession?"

"Possession," Tommy said after a moment. It was true enough.

"Well, that's something. Not a spell."

"Not a spell," he echoed, sitting back.

The Wild Force team – active – wandered in, laughing and chatting. Cole waved enthusiastically at Tommy, so it must have been after the moon mission for him, but he didn't try to come over. Max had already zeroed in on the pool table, pulling a compliant Danny and a reluctant Taylor along with him; laughing, Alyssa wrapped a hand around Cole's arm to tug him along after them.

"No Merrick," Tommy noted.

"He doesn't come in with the team. He sees Taylor after they retired –"

"Power taken from them," Tommy muttered.

"And someone said he met Cole here a while back. But that's all," Adam finished. "Power taken from them?"

"Stripped with compliance. They didn't want to give it up, but they agreed with their mentor when she told them to."

"Defeated their villain?"

"Mmm. She wanted to save the powers in case they're needed again some time, despite Cole and his team completely and utterly destroying him."

Adam shrugged. "Mentors aren't all knowing, I guess."

"Bite your tongue, I'm a mentor now."

"Is that weird?"

"Extremely."

Adam smiled, lifting his glass in a toast. "To your team. It can't be easy to put up with you."

"I'm a very easy-going mentor," Tommy protested. "I didn't even yell at Ethan when his wizard stole my mouth."

Adam stared at him until they both started laughing. "It doesn't even sound strange," Adam managed. "That's a bad sign, right?"

"Depends on your point of view, I guess," Tommy said, shifting along the booth to sit in the corner. "It's not the weirdest thing that's happened to us."

"Are we going to have the weirdest thing conversation?" Adam asked with a put-upon sigh.

"Nah, TJ's not here. That conversation's no fun without the baked-in-a-pizza story." Tommy kept a straight face for all of three seconds before laughing again; Adam watched in amusement. It was good to see Tommy relax some.

"You should come here more often," he said on impulse.

Tommy sighed, settling again. "What?"

"What we do, it's hard, Tommy. Painful and difficult and time consuming and no one knows, only us. We need Ranger's Rest. Even us."

"It doesn't work for us."

"It doesn't work the same for us," Adam corrected him. "But it does work. Why do you think we remember?"

"What?"

"If remembering meant this place didn't work, we wouldn't remember," Adam said slowly. "The ones who remember; you and me, Merrick, Cam, and Jayden. We've served or trained longer than anyone. Well, apart from Cam, he's a blip. But we've served years, you and me, and Merrick and Jayden have trained all their lives. We need this place more than anyone."

"Cam's a blip?" Tommy repeated. "Does he know you think that?"

"It's probably the genius thing."

"Billy doesn't remember."

"Not that we know of," Adam agreed, "but he stopped coming when he left Earth."

"Probably hard to find an entrance on Aquitar. Justin doesn't remember either."

"Justin's smart, not a genius."

"Ethan..."

"Smart. Not a genius." Adam shrugged at his look. "Your team. I checked them out. I like the video diary, by the way."

"Stop telling me things that haven't happened yet," Tommy groused half-heartedly.

Adam grinned. "Can't. You knew I was coming to look for it."

They both glanced up as the door opened again. Fran waved absently at Adam, heading for her booth. Casey was trailing behind her; Adam recognised battle fatigue and wondered what had happened. Fran didn't often bring her team, though they occasionally came in without her.

"Who's..." Tommy trailed off, frowning. "Not a Ranger."

"Fran's not," Adam agreed. "Casey is, he's her Red."

"Yeah, I can see that," Tommy said impatiently. "How'd she get in? She shouldn't even have seen the sign."

"Relax; she's staff." Adam grinned at the look on his face. "Really. She's her team's morale, and one day she turned up here and started helping out. She didn't even know she was doing it until it got pointed out to her."

"How did she help out without knowing she was doing it?"

Adam thought for a moment. "The little Samurai boy; he studies, all the time he's in here. It's important to him. He broke his pencil one day and she gave him another. We chat about books. Ryan, Lightspeed Rescue, he gets twitchy when Zhane or Antonio try and flirt with Dana, so Fran diverts them. Those two like flirting with no intent, so she lets them flirt with her. Trent comes in here sometimes on his own and she sends him a treat to cheer him up...a lot of little things, things no one else could do. Things no one else would think to do."

Tommy nodded slowly, watching Fran talk briefly to Casey before heading for the bar. The Red Ranger dropped his head onto the table, sighing. "He's young," he murmured.

Adam nodded. "They're ahead of me, so I don't really know much about them. I'm catching up, though. Casey's a cat, a tiger, I think."

"Animals?"

"Yeah. Fran's sort of going out with their White. Don't worry," he added off Tommy's look. "He wasn't evil."

Tommy rolled his eyes. "I wasn't evil when I was White."

Adam grinned suddenly. "We might have said different on occasion. I remember a few lectures. What's your Red like?"

"Enthusiastic," Tommy murmured, thinking of Conner. "He's a lot more in sync than he thinks he is. Good instincts."

"Good. That's important. Now..." Adam leaned forward, watching him. "Dinosaurs? Really?"

"What's wrong with palaeontology?" Tommy protested.

"Do you want the list?"

"Hi," Cole said excitedly from just far enough away not to be rude.

"Hi, Cole," Tommy said, looking away from Adam's smirk. "This is my friend Adam. Adam, Cole Evans, Wild Force Red."

"Oh." Cole looked confused for a moment before shaking his hand. "Are you..."

"Yeah." Adam glanced at Tommy. "Forgotten my colours in your old age?"

"There's so many of them, who keeps track?" Tommy retorted. "Adam was black and green and now he's black again, Cole."

"Different powers?" Cole asked in surprise.

"Yes," Adam agreed. "We used to change powers sometimes. It doesn't seem to happen anymore. I never did make it to Red, though, someone else was always in that spot."

"Does Rocky know you're mad at him for that?" Tommy asked mildly. "Team building, Cole?"

"Uh. Alyssa's dad was in town today. She says it went all right, but we figured an evening out would be fun, anyway."

"Sounds great. Don't let us keep you."

"I'm not, I just – I saw you talking and I wondered if I could help."

_Empath_, Tommy remembered, if mostly untrained and instinctual. "We're fine, Cole. Thanks. It's just been a while since we talked, but we're fine."

Adam nodded confirmation even though he didn't really know what was going on, and Cole grinned. "Good. Cos I can tell you were really good friends."

"We still are," Adam told him. "Once a Ranger, always a Ranger. It doesn't go away."

Cole grinned, heading back to his friends, and Adam glanced at Tommy. "What was that?"

"Cole's an untrained empath. Sometimes he picks up on things."

"And has some hero worship."

"And has some hero worship," Tommy agreed. "He came on the moon mission with us."

"Oh, bringing the active Red along, out of touch with Earth, and leaving his team behind. Good plan. Lucky for you his villain didn't watch him as closely as Rita and Zedd used to watch us."

"We weren't out of touch," Tommy protested. "Lightspeed could have reached us."

"And did anyone on his team know how to contact Lightspeed?" Adam grinned at the look on his face. "Thought not."

"That was Carter's job," Tommy muttered. "You're not doing anything to persuade me to visit more often."

"It's not my job to persuade you. Why are you here? Why did you come?"

Tommy shrugged uncomfortably. "I heard my kids talking about it, and I wanted to make sure..."

"What?" Adam insisted.

"That it was safe," Tommy admitted.

Adam studied him for a moment. "If you thought there was anything in Ranger's Rest to hurt them, you really have been gone too long."

"Not in Ranger's Rest, no."

"Do you hate it that much? Remembering?"

Tommy stared at Adam's morpher, reaching but not quite touching it. "I was going to give up, you know."

"Give up..."

"We passed the Turbo powers, and that was it. No more Rangers, not for me. Grown up job, grown up life. Rangers are teenagers."

"Tell Merrick that," Adam muttered, and Tommy nodded absently.

"I did come back a couple of times after that. But I started..."

"Seeing things," Adam filled in.

"And it was – knowing how long everyone would serve and how they'd lose the Power? It's just – it was something else to carry. I needed not to. We were Rangers for four years by then. I needed to stop."

Adam nodded slowly. "I can understand that. Did you think your team would remember?"

"No. Not really. But..."

"Yeah. But. So what happened?"

"The Gem needed protecting, and there wasn't anyone else. And you're right; we were never going to refuse."

"Your kids are safe here. There isn't anywhere safer for them."

"I know." He glanced around as Max loudly challenged Dax to a hastily-set up game of mini bowling, and where _that_ had come from he had no idea. "You said Trent comes in?"

"On his own sometimes. There's something weighing on him."

"Yeah," Tommy said with a sigh. "He doesn't talk to us. Not to me, not to Kira. He's not close enough to the boys. Has he talked to anyone in here?"

"He doesn't remember. He won't talk business with anyone. You know that."

"Not even with Fran?"

"I don't think they've ever spoken. You should try and find out what's wrong. Issues and villains don't mix, you know that."

"Yeah," Tommy agreed again, moving to leave.

"And come back more often," Adam ordered.

"Yes, boss."

"Hey, I'm a team leader now. A little respect."

Tommy laughed, pushing to his feet. "Yes, boss," he repeated. "I'll be looking forward to seeing you."

Adam grinned, waving as he headed out. "Yeah. You will."


	5. Andros, Kim

Chapter 5

Andros wasn't quite sure how he'd got here.

Well, he knew in general. Too long between meals and too far from the Megaship. He really had to start keeping better track. But it was hard to remember now; easier to lose himself in missions and maintenance.

But this wasn't what he'd been expecting. True, this wasn't Onyx, but it wasn't Eltare either. It seemed odd to find a restaurant with an exclusively human clientele, especially humans speaking English with an Earth accent. The Power translated for him, but it was still strange.

At least the food was good. Andros ate enough to keep himself going for a while longer, drank the sweet _tarva_ tea, and pushed back his chair to stand.

Someone crashed into him from behind and something hot and wet splashed over his shoulder and down his front. Andros cursed in Eltarean, lurching forward; his foot tangled in his chair leg and he almost fell.

Someone grabbed his shoulder, steadying him and letting go as soon as he caught his balance. "I'm so sorry!" Female, he thought automatically, Earth accent English. "Are you all right? I wasn't expecting you to move that fast!"

"I'm fine." Andros wiped at his neck. "It wasn't that hot. Don't worry about it."

"It's all over your food. Let me get you another." The waitress had arrived, mopping the table and pressing a wad of napkins into Andros' hand, and the girl said quickly, "Another one, please."

"Really, it isn't..."

_Active,_ the Power told him when he met her eyes.

The girl was studying him curiously. "Do I..." Cutting herself off, she laughed softly. "Sorry. You look really familiar."

How was it poss...she didn't recognise him! That shouldn't have been possible. The Power always recognised its' warriors and always had.

_Earth accent_, a voice that sounded suspiciously like Zhane whispered in the back of his mind. _You're probably the first Ranger outside her team she's ever seen._

_This far out?_ Andros retorted, carefully displaying his morpher as he scrubbed his neck. Even from Earth, it shouldn't have been possible to get this far into space without meeting at least one other team.

The girl saw it, but she didn't react. "My name's Kimberly. I really am sorry."

"It doesn't matter." He stripped off his jacket, wiping the worst of the wet away. It would dry quickly enough. "It was an accident and neither of us is hurt. And I was finished eating anyway."

"You're burnt," Kimberly pointed out, reaching for his neck. Andros jerked away, almost falling over his chair again, and she froze.

"Sorry," she said uncertainly once he'd steadied himself. "It's – you're red..."

"It's nothing." He touched it lightly; it stung, but it was already healing. "Honest. It doesn't even hurt."

The waitress reappeared with a fresh plate for Andros and drinks for both of them. "Tilt your head," she ordered Andros, who obeyed without thinking. "Nothing serious," she declared. "Sit and eat. You'll be fine before you leave."

"I have to go."

"Please don't," Kimberly said quickly. "Stay and eat. Make me feel better."

"You must have friends waiting for you," Andros tried.

"Just me today."

"I'm not good company..."

"I won't talk."

The waitress stirred. "Like this, honey." Turning to Andros, she ordered "Sit down," and he found himself obeying again. "Better. Now eat." She headed off before he could answer.

_Yeah,_ Zhane agreed from the back of his mind. _Seriously, Andros. You think I'm fighting next to a twig when I get back?_

"I'm really not good company," he warned Kimberly as she sat down. He dimly remembered being vaguely sociable; Zhane used to drag him out places...

"That's all right," Kimberly answered. "I just want to make sure I didn't hurt you."

They sat in silence for a while. Andros kept his eyes on his food, eating quickly. It really was pretty good.

"Can I help?" Kimberly asked eventually.

"Sorry?"

_Be nice,_ Zhane warned him, a second too late.

Kimberly was shrugging, apparently unaffected by the coldness in his voice. "Something's wrong. I just wondered if I could help."

"You don't know me," Andros pointed out.

"I feel like I do." She laughed a little. "Weird, huh? But I feel like I know you."

"Not that weird," Andros muttered, too quietly for her to hear. "It's nothing," he said more loudly.

"It's something."

Andros very deliberately finished his meal and put down his knife and fork. "Thank you."

"Wait," she said quickly, studying him. "Are...someone's missing?"

_Gotcha,_ Zhane murmured.

"What?" Andros managed.

"I have – a friend –" The pause told Andros everything he needed to know, but she was going on anyway. "And he isn't with us, right now, he had to go away for a while. I miss him. And you kind of look like that."

"I look like I miss your friend?"

"You look like you miss someone."

"He isn't dead," Andros said fiercely.

Kimberly blinked. "Neither is T – my friend. He's just away."

_Stop that,_ Zhane scolded. _Be nice. She's trying._

_She should try and leave me alone,_ Andros told him.

_Everyone's been doing that,_ Zhane said softly. _It's not helping you._

"He was injured," Andros said abruptly. "He's..." He had to think of the Earther word. Not hypersleep... "In a coma," he said finally.

"Oh," Kimberly breathed. She reached for his hand but caught herself before she touched him. "I'm sorry."

"He's getting better."

"I'm sure he is."

"Where's your friend?"

She shook her head slightly. "My...? Um. Some things happened, really bad things, and he went off for a while to think and get his head straightened out. He'll be back."

Andros nodded, lifting his glass in a toast. "Absent friends?"

"Absent friends," she echoed, taking a sip. "Tell me about him?"

Andros struggled for a moment; Kimberly still didn't seem to have realised he was a Ranger, and he was strangely reluctant to tell her. "When we were eight," he said after a minute, "we were on a camping trip. With other kids; it was a sort of survival thing? The adults were nearby, and there weren't any dangerous animals, but we were supposed to feed ourselves and take care of ourselves for three days." Kimberly nodded and he continued, "He snuck in snack food, and a – for lighting the fire –"

"Matches?" she suggested, and he nodded. He had no idea what the Earth equivalent of Zhane's little device was.

"So we didn't hunt or gather anything, and we didn't need to worry about the fire. All we had to do was get water. The adults didn't realise until we were on the way back home again, and when they asked who'd brought the – matches – everyone owned up, all at once. They couldn't do anything about it."

The memory of Zhane owning up along with everyone else made him choke for a moment; he looked away, taking a sip from his glass to hide it.

Kimberly smiled. "So what happened?"

"They rescheduled and checked everyone's bags. But they used the same part of the woods. He'd snuck in a week before, with two other kids, and hidden stuff for us to use. No one figured it out that time."

"You didn't help?"

"I didn't know! I'm –" He swallowed quickly. "I was being groomed for a particular position. He didn't want me to get in trouble."

Her eyes flickered down to his morpher again, and he wondered if she'd figured it out. "He sounds like a good friend," she said quietly.

"The best." He choked again, draining his glass.

Kimberly signalled for another drink, leaning forward. "I have this other friend – not the missing one, another one –"

She chatted for a while, letting Andros pull himself back together. He was surprised to realise that this was the first time he'd spoken about Zhane since he'd entered hypersleep. He spoke _to_ Zhane, spent hours sitting by the tube talking to him, but he never spoke about him. DECA had quickly learned not to ask, the remains of the Kerovan people were out of contact, and those few Rangers who'd known them – well, there was a reason Andros had been burying himself in work.

Eventually he shifted, pushing his long-empty plate and glass aside. "I really have to be going."

"Tilt," Kimberly ordered, and he obliged, knowing the light burn had faded long ago.

"Well, am I healthy?"

"You're not burned, anyway."

He smiled faintly, rising to his feet. "It was very nice to meet you." Borrowing something he'd seen Zhane do, he pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. "Thank you."

"It was nice to – throw my drink at you. We should do it again?"

Andros nodded. "I'll be back this way again. Maybe I'll see you then."

"I'd like that."

He smiled. "I'm sure your friend will be back soon."

"I'm sure yours will get better."

_I will, you know, _Zhane murmured.

Andros nodded, smiling, and turned to go. The Megaship was waiting. And he should check in with Eltare, maybe with Trey. See what was happening in the universe.

After all, Zhane would be waking up. He should really do what he could to make sure he woke up to a universe – and a friend – at peace.


	6. Merrick, Adam, Jayden, Antonio, Zhane

Author's note: **Based on spoilers** for _Fight Fire with Fire_, the Super Samurai episode.

Chapter Six

"...so she wants, like, a hundred lilies in two days, and it's November, so we're running around trying to source them. We have lilies everywhere, and she comes back in and says no, I wanted yellow..."

Merrick smiled as he listened. Max, at least, was undemanding company; he'd given Merrick less grief than anyone bar Taylor.

Merrick had made a point of returning to Turtle Cove to meet the others again. Once he'd done that, he started seeing them in Ranger's Rest sometimes; not often, not enough to make him feel crowded, but every now and then.

"And Danny's desperately spritzing them all, trying to keep them alive until she comes in..."

Merrick shuddered suddenly, attention snapping to the door, actually turning in his seat. Behind him, Max's voice faltered and trailed off.

Jayden stormed in, very obviously upset. Antonio was on his heels, uncharacteristically yelling at his friend; Jayden was defending himself, nothing more, but something was very, very wrong.

"Cole," Merrick said, cutting across Taylor without even realising, "Do me a favour."

"Sure," Cole agreed.

"Tell me what's wrong with them. And then leave."

"Merrick?"

He pried his gaze away from the two Samurai to look at Cole. "They're – friends of mine. At least, Jayden is, I don't know Antonio very well. But well enough to know he'd never shout at his friend without a good reason – I should help them, and that'll be easier if there aren't so many people here." In fact, some of the others were already leaving; Zhane was dragging his group out, and Cam had revealed himself to his teammate and her boyfriend and was sending them away. Two girls he vaguely recognised as teammates of Adam's were leaving, too, and he knew neither of them ever remembered anything. The room was clearing rapidly, and neither Jayden nor Antonio had noticed. That was completely out of character for Jayden, at least; he always knew what was going on around him, the same way Merrick did.

Cole glanced sideways at him; Merrick didn't bother trying to hide anything, and after a moment Cole turned back to look at the Samurai.

And stumbled back, reaching for the table to catch himself. Merrick got a hand behind him, and a moment later Danny was on his other side. "Are you all right?" he asked worriedly.

"Yeah." Cole shook his head once, sharply. "Jayden's the tall one?"

"The quieter one, yes." He looked back in time to see Jayden try to sit down and Antonio jab a finger into his chest, still yelling.

"Yeah," Cole murmured. "I think he's in shock, everything's kind of muffled – but he's upset, and afraid, and angry, and tired, and about this far from giving up. And the other one, Antonio, he's betrayed and confused and absolutely terrified for Jayden. He's not really angry, he just doesn't know how else to deal with whatever's going on."

"For Jayden? Not of Jayden?"

"For him. Afraid to leave him alone."

Merrick nodded slowly. "Thank you, Cole."

"Good luck." Over his shoulder, he added, "Let's go, guys."

"Do you want help?" Alyssa asked, pausing at his shoulder.

Merrick glanced at the bar; Adam was watching him, and Fran was in her booth, determinedly not looking. "I have help. Thank you."

He waited until his team was gone. Adam came to join him, watching the two boys. "He's not fighting back," he murmured.

"No," Merrick agreed. "When are they from?"

"About six years ahead of you. About three years ahead of me. There's no one here from beyond them."

"So we have no idea how this plays out?"

"We're going to have to handle it like regular people," Adam said cheerfully.

Merrick smiled ruefully. "Can you get between them? Antonio won't listen to you; whatever's going on, he's very protective of Jayden."

"Yeah. Ready?"

They moved together, Merrick jerking Antonio back a couple of steps and Adam slipping neatly between them. "What..." Jayden cut himself off when he saw Merrick.

"Jayden!" Antonio protested.

"Antonio..." Jayden ground the heel of his palm into his eye. "Can you just – can I have ten seconds on my own, please?"

Hurt flashed across Antonio's face, but he fell silent, glaring at Adam. Merrick dismissed him – Adam could handle him, and there was no way he actually wanted to hurt Jayden – and waited patiently.

"What happened?" he murmured after a minute. Jayden shook his head, jaw clenched tightly.

"Who are these guys?" Antonio asked. Some of the anger was gone from his tone, replaced by a wariness Merrick appreciated.

"Merrick," Jayden supplied. "And..."

"Adam," Merrick offered.

"Friends of mine."

"Great friend, you don't even know his name. More secrets, Jayden?"

Jayden flinched, looking away. Merrick caught the regret on Antonio's face before Adam grabbed his shoulder, yanking him towards a booth in a shadowy corner.

"Do you want him to be a part of this?" Merrick asked.

"What?"

"Adam will keep him over there if you'd rather."

"He isn't forgetting." Jayden looked over, and Merrick followed his gaze; Adam had bundled Antonio into the inside of the booth and was sitting on his outside, effectively trapping him with no room to manoeuvre. "I thought if we came in here – but he isn't forgetting."

"No," Merrick agreed quietly. "He'll remember this visit, Jayden. Not Ranger's Rest itself; but this conversation, us, he'll remember. He's too –" He hesitated, trying to think of the word. "Involved," he settled on finally. It wasn't right, but close enough.

"I don't want..." Jayden cut himself off again, staring at the floor.

"He cares about you. He's worried about you."

"I don't want him to worry about me."

Merrick took a step towards him; Jayden gave way, automatically heading for the booth. Antonio watched him closely as he slumped into the other side; Merrick pulled over a spare chair and sat on Adam's outside. Jayden could leave any time he wanted, but Antonio would have to get past two of them, and it wasn't lost on anyone.

"Antonio," Merrick said briskly, "Adam and I are both Rangers, and we know who you are." He didn't mention his own power loss; that wasn't the issue right now. "Whatever's wrong with you two, it's Ranger related?"

Jayden nodded, but Antonio was shaking his head. "No. It's nothing to do with the Power, Jay. That's not the issue here." Jayden flinched again, looking away.

Fran appeared with a tray, passing glasses to Adam for him and Antonio and physically putting Jayden's into his hands. "Need me?" she asked Merrick.

"No, thank you, Fran." He waited until she was gone to glare at Antonio. "You, hush for now. Jayden?"

"I told you about the symbol," Jayden started hesitantly. Antonio threw his hands up but didn't interrupt, aware of Adam glaring at him.

"Yes," Merrick said when Jayden didn't go on. "A symbol known to Red Rangers of your lineage that would seal your villain away forever."

"Lineage," Jayden repeated softly.

"That's about right," Antonio agreed.

"I have a sister," Jayden announced. "Lauren's older than me. She was sent away when I was five to master the symbol in secret. I was left to train in the open, to lead the team if necessary, to be loud and visible so that Xandred wouldn't look anywhere else."

"And your team didn't know," Merrick filled in, suppressing his reaction to the story. Adam was glaring fiercely at a pile of napkins. Who did that to a five year old?

Jayden shook his head. "It had to be real. They had to act as though it was really me. No one knew, just Ji and me."

"Ji had to know, he raised you," Antonio muttered. "Be honest, Jayden, your father wouldn't even have told him if he could have gotten away with it."

"No," Jayden agreed. "Probably not. It's a dangerous thing to know."

"It's a dangerous thing to be, idiot."

For whatever reason, Jayden looked to Adam. "I tried to walk away from my team, to keep them out of danger. They wouldn't let me. I tried to refuse Antonio when he joined; he ignored me. I told them not to protect me, not to sacrifice for me, and they didn't listen. I told them every way I could. Lauren wasn't protected, not like I was. It would have drawn attention. How could I say anything that might put her at risk?"

Adam nodded, glancing at Antonio. "Is this your problem? That he didn't tell you?"

"What? No. I was there for bits of his childhood, I know what his upbringing was like. I'm pretty sure he physically couldn't have told me even if he'd wanted to."

"I did want to," Jayden protested. "Of course I wanted to. You're my best friend, Antonio. But I was holding her safety in my hands."

"That's Mentor talking," Antonio said fiercely.

"Stay on topic," Adam said quickly. "What is your problem if it's not the secret?"

"It's a little bit the secret," Antonio admitted. "But I can understand that, why he kept it. I think we can let it pass."

"Thanks," Jayden murmured, eyes locked on his glass. He hadn't actually drunk any of it yet.

Antonio softened. "You gave her your zords, and your disks, and your _team_, and you walked away. Did you think we'd just let you go? So long, Jayden, and on to the new girl? You're our leader."

"Lauren's your leader now."

"Lauren's our Red now," Antonio corrected him. "You're our leader. We can follow her in battle, but you are our leader and you always will be."

"Lauren was raised to..."

"You learned everything she did. I was _there,_ Jayden. You built the team, you brought us together, you fight for us and protect us. I'm sure Lauren's lovely, but she doesn't know us. She doesn't know how to lead us."

Jayden shook his head. "If I go home, they will look to me instead of her. She can't lead you like that. It's not fair to her."

"This isn't fair to you!"

"I don't matter!"

Antonio started to answer, caught himself, and leaned around Adam to catch Merrick's eye. "He believes that, you know."

"I _don't matter_. Lauren's here now; she doesn't need protecting any more, and she's going to stop Xandred."

"I'm going to kill Ji," Antonio said, still addressing Merrick. Jayden grimaced, scrubbing a hand over his face.

Merrick glanced at Adam, who shrugged slightly. "Antonio, you're angry because Jayden left without telling you?"

"I'm angry because he _left_," Antonio said sharply. "But yeah, sneaking away like a thief didn't help his case."

"I couldn't stay."

"Why not?"

Jayden half smiled. "What am I supposed to do, sit in the Shiba House and wait for you to come back from fights? I can't do it, Antonio."

"We need you, Jayden," Antonio said gently.

"No. You don't." Jayden looked at Merrick. "I'm leaving."

"You can, if you want," Merrick agreed, ignoring Antonio's yelp, "but you shouldn't."

"Why not?" Jayden was ignoring Antonio too, and Antonio wasn't happy about it. "He isn't listening to me."

"Am so!" Antonio protested.

"No. You're not," Jayden said flatly. "Mike didn't either, but I thought..." He cut himself off, taking a sip from his glass – more to have something to do than because he was thirsty, Merrick thought.

Antonio was silent for a long time. Adam caught Merrick's eye when he went to speak, and they let the silence hang there.

"I'm listening to you," Antonio said finally. "I just don't understand how you can leave us."

"Because I have to," Jayden said tightly.

"You're our leader."

"I know!"

_Anger_, Merrick thought in relief. _Now we're getting somewhere._

"But Lauren has to lead you now, and she can't do that if I'm there. They'll look to me instead of her."

"Let them," Antonio urged him. "Lead them."

"You can't have one leader in the field and one off it, it wouldn't work."

"Then you lead us."

"You _need_ her."

"We need you!"

Jayden's glass exploded against the wall inches from Antonio's head. Merrick was on his feet in the same instant, catching Jayden's collar and hauling him out of his seat. Antonio tried to go over the table to get to him, pure desperation on his face, but Adam was practically in his lap, pinning him down and talking very quickly.

Merrick dropped Jayden in the next booth but one, watching carefully as he shuddered through the adrenaline drop off and the realisation of what he'd done. They were just out of Antonio's line of sight, close enough for him to hear them if they raised their voices just slightly.

Fran appeared at his elbow with a cup in her hands. "Sweet tea, extra honey," she said to Merrick's look, lowering her voice to add, "It's barely lukewarm. What else do you need?"

"Is Zhane still here?"

She glanced back towards the bar. "He's sitting with Cam. Do you want him?"

"Cam must be enjoying that. Not yet, but don't let him leave."

"Who's Zhane?" Jayden asked.

Merrick took the tea from Fran, turning to consider the boy. He was sitting on the edge of the seat, elbows on knees and head down, and he hadn't looked up to ask his question.

"Drink this," Merrick ordered. Jayden reached for it but paused halfway, closing his hands into fists to try and still the shakes.

"The Power thinks you're fighting," Merrick said gently. "Drink this, breathe, calm. It'll pass." Jayden took the cup; it took him three tries to take a sip, and he made a face at the sweetness, but obediently kept drinking.

When he was finished Merrick put the cup aside – Jayden watched it go with an odd focus – before sliding into the other side of the booth. "Better?"

"Did I hurt Antonio?"

"You didn't hit him," Merrick answered carefully.

Jayden nodded understanding. "I don't know why I did that."

"I do."

"What?"

Merrick waited until Jayden met his eyes, turning to sit properly in the booth. "Tell me if I get something wrong," he said. "Lauren showed up during a fight, one you were doing badly in."

"Yes." Jayden's hand went unconsciously to his side.

"And after the fight, you had to deal with your friends – and you said Mike wasn't listening to you. When you couldn't take any more of that, you left, but Antonio followed you, and he's been on you since. Not listening to you."

"Listening," Jayden corrected him. "Not hearing."

"Not hearing," Merrick repeated. "You haven't had a minute to yourself since it started."

"Longer than that, Emily barely left me alone since I got injured."

"And when was that?"

Jayden abruptly realised he was holding his side; he dropped both hands with a grimace. "Recently."

Merrick nodded slowly. "In a moment of stress, under pressure, you lashed out. You're not the first Ranger to do it."

"You were evil..." Jayden shook his head. "Alyssa and the thing that possessed you."

"Alyssa and the thing that possessed me," Merrick agreed. He'd tracked Alyssa down, after that, waiting on a brightly lit lawn at her college, surrounded by other people. She'd accepted his apology, to make him feel better, then told him he was being silly and there was nothing to apologise for. "You won't be the last to do it, either. The Power heightens everything, Jayden. Abilities, healing, strength and stamina. And feelings and reactions. If you're going to lash out, another Ranger's the safest person to do it to and this is the safest place to do it."

"At Antonio? He's never done anything but help me."

"He isn't helping you now," he pointed out carefully. Jayden's face twisted, but he didn't argue it. "Who are you angry with, Jayden?"

"What? Antonio."

Merrick shook his head. "No. Someone – or something – else. What is it?"

"Antonio," Jayden said again, but there was an edge in his voice now.

Adam's voice rose briefly behind Jayden. Merrick didn't look.

"I was angry at him," Jayden insisted.

"Yes," Merrick agreed. "But you missed."

Jayden froze for a moment before deliberately relaxing. "I'm not a Ranger any more."

"Not a Ranger, but trained from birth. You're no less dangerous than I am."

"I don't have a Duke Org following me around."

Anger again, Merrick noted distantly. "You did your homework. Well done."

"You meant it when you said no one talks about this place, didn't you?"

"Is it Lauren?"

"What?"

"I'd be angry at her. What did your homework tell you?"

"It –" Jayden was off balance now and Merrick kept pushing.

"I was a royal bodyguard before the Rangers. If I'd trained, all my life, and risked my life and my friends, and then someone else came along and said 'well done, I'll take over now' I'd be angry at them."

"That's not what – it wasn't her idea."

"I'd probably be angry at my friends, too, for going along with it."

"They didn't have a choice..."

"And if the man who raised me was part of it?" Merrick shook his head, tsking.

"Why are you..."

He leaned forward, pinning Jayden with his stare. "My Princess sent me away when our team was finished. I obeyed because she wanted it and her intentions were good, but I hated her for it."

"I don't hate..."

"That's partly why I avoided my team. Because they didn't do anything to stop her, and they didn't lo – miss her the way I did."

Jayden's hands tightened into fists. "My team don't have anything to do with it."

"No, of course not. They couldn't have spoken in your defence, or asked you to stay."

"You're contradicting – Antonio asked..."

"Am I?"

Jayden drew a ragged breath, fighting for control. "What do you want, Merrick?"

"You came here," Merrick reminded him.

"I wanted Antonio off my back for ten seconds!"

"He's off your back right now."

"Because Adam's sitting on him, or something, and you're at me instead! I don't know what you _want_!"

Antonio had to be able to hear him, but there was no sound coming from the booth.

"Hiding from your feelings is dangerous for a Ranger. Especially an active – don't interrupt, I know about Lauren – an active Ranger. Villains have ways of knowing. Master Org threw Cole off every time they met, distracted him, and he knew it. He counted on it. Hide what you're feeling, walk out there without your team, and you are vulnerable to anything your villain or your duel partner decide to do."

"He's not my partner," Jayden muttered halfheartedly. "He's not even all bad."

"I travel with Zen Aku," Merrick reminded him. "But that's not the point, Jayden."

"No. I still don't know what you want."

"Liar."

Jadeyn's eyes flashed. "You want me to say I'm angry at her, but..." He choked on the words.

"You can't tell me you aren't," Merrick said gently, "because you are. She's just turned your life upside down, stripped it of any meaning it had, simply by existing."

"It wasn't her idea," he said again.

"It doesn't matter whose idea it was. Just that it was done. It might be worse that it wasn't her; you can't be angry at your father, he's dead, and you can't be angry at Lauren, it wasn't her plan..."

"She wanted me to stay."

"On the team?"

"In the Shiba House. To advise her. How to lead my team." He shook his head. "Lauren isn't the problem."

"She didn't do this," Merrick agreed. "But it's because of her. Do you know you keep saying _my team_?"

"They are mine. Antonio's right about that much. I shouldn't have left them."

"Why did you?" Merrick leaned forward again. "Truthfully."

"Truthfully?" Jayden laughed softly. "Because I can't stand to see someone else leading my team. What kind of leader does that make me, that I can't stand aside for someone who's better able to lead than I am?"

"She isn't better able to lead. Not necessarily. She's better than you at the sealing symbol, we assume. That doesn't make her a better team leader; it means she had less distractions."

"Distractions," Jayden echoed.

"Little things like leading a team against..."

"Nighlok."

"Nighlok," Merrick repeated. "I held a job, while we were fighting, but I only kept it because Willie knew what I was. Rangering is hard, it takes time and effort and focus. If Lauren was sequestered away from everything, that's why she's better than you. Have you tried the symbol?"

"It's not the kind of thing you try; you do it or you don't. And I'm not strong enough."

"You know that?"

"Yes."

Merrick nodded, accepting that. "So she can, because of everything you did."

"I don't need the pep talk, Merrick. I know what I've done." Swallowing, he admitted, "I am angry. But this isn't anyone's fault."

"It's no one's fault," Merrick agreed. "Your villain..."

"Xandred."

"Xandred. His fault. But that doesn't help, does it?"

"No," Jayden breathed. "I want – "

"Her gone?" Merrick suggested. Jayden shuddered, dropping his head into his hands.

Merrick caught Adam's eye, waving him over and pressing a finger against his lips. Adam nodded, murmuring to Antonio before letting him out of the booth; the Samurai took the warning to heart, lurking just out of reach of Jayden, behind him and out of his eyeline.

"You don't hate her," Merrick murmured, "but you're angry. At her for taking your spot, at your team for letting her, at your father and your mentor for thinking of the plan. At yourself for being angry at them. It feels like a betrayal, because if you need her to defeat Xandred how can you resent her? But you do, a little." Jayden was nodding without looking up; Antonio was staring at him, eyes wide. "And you're not angry at Antonio, really, but he just won't leave you alone, pushing, trying to make you come back. And you can't stand the thought of it right now."

"I love Antonio," Jayden said, voice muffled. "I'll kill him if he doesn't stop. I can't _think_ with him yelling at me."

Merrick nodded grimly. "More guilt, then, because Antonio's only a Samurai because of you..."

"What do I do?" Jayden looked up, tear stained. "How do...I can't even think..."

"Stop fighting it." Antonio came forward, slowly, sinking to kneel beside him. "Feel it, every bit of it, let it pass through you. You can't deal with it if you can't acknowledge it."

Jayden reached out, plucking a sliver of glass from Antonio's collar. "Did I hurt you?"

"You missed. Mighty Samurai Ranger, bane of the Nighlok, can't hit a stationary target from three feet away." Antonio smiled at the look on his face. "Budge down."

"I'm sorry."

"I know. Budge down, or I'll stay here on the floor."

Jayden snorted, moving further into the booth and snagging a napkin to press to his eyes. Merrick slipped out of his seat, going back to join Adam as the two started talking softly.

"Better?" Adam asked, perched on the edge of the table.

"They're talking, at least, and Jayden knows what's wrong." Merrick sat, rubbing his face with one hand. "This is not what I'm good at."

"Hitting things doesn't always solve the problem, sadly," Adam told him.

"It's a lot easier, though."

Zhane ghosted up from behind Adam. "You still want me?" he asked, leaning against the seat and looking towards the Samurai.

"You wanted him?" Adam echoed.

Merrick nodded. "Antonio became a Samurai because Jayden was one. He fights because Jayden is. He's completely dedicated to him. And he's Gold, a Sixth. True Sixth."

Zhane smiled lazily. "Well, it's not as good as Silver, but at least it's a metal. Does he know about Sixths?"

"Only what his Power's told him. I understand he's had little formal training, and Ranger history isn't usually a priority."

"What about Sixths?" Adam asked, frowning.

"It's a Sixth thing, you wouldn't understand," Zhane said absently.

"Hey!"

"What? Look, I don't claim to understand the number two spot on the team, you don't claim to understand the Sixth."

"I wasn't..."

"I've seen footage of your team. You were definitely the number two."

Adam frowned, clearly thinking about it. "You were leading in the last fight, when Andros was on the Dark Fortress."

"TJ was leading. TJ was Andros' second. I was his Sixth. There is a difference."

"It doesn't matter," Merrick said. "You're not a Sixth, Adam, I'm sorry. There are things about it that – they can't be explained."

"The Power works in mysterious ways," Adam said with a sigh, tilting his head slightly to look past Merrick.

"They all right?"

"They're hugging," Adam reported. Zhane was grinning. "Stop that, they'll see you."

"What, them? Too focused on each other right now."

"Zhane," Merrick said mildly. "Stop, or sit down."

Zhane made a face, sliding into the booth. "No need to be like that." Merrick smiled, and he shuddered. "That's even worse!"

"There," Adam said suddenly. Merrick followed his gaze and headed back to the booth, settling opposite the boys – and they were boys, he thought, so young right now.

Jayden noticed him but didn't look at him, focused on Antonio. "I can't yet."

"But you will, right?"

"Yeah." He rubbed his face. "I will. Just not yet."

"Ok. Where are we going to go?"

Jayden shook his head quietly. "Not we, Antonio."

"What?" Antonio flicked a glance at Merrick, who was watching in silence. "Jayden..."

"No. You have to go back to the team."

"Don't..."

"Please. Protect my sister and help her lead them. They need you; Kevin won't stand up to her and Mike will just annoy her. Please, Antonio. Keep them safe."

"That's not fair," Antonio warned him.

"Yeah, I know."

"I follow you, not the team."

"I'm coming back. I promise, Antonio. But I need to know they're safe until I do, and I trust you."

Antonio studied him for a long moment. "I'll come after you," he said finally. "If you're gone too long."

"I know."

"And when I do you're coming home."

"I know," Jayden repeated.

"All right, then."

"Good," Zhane said, and the Samurai jumped. "We're borrowing Antonio for a minute. Are you going to brood if we leave you alone?"

"What?" Jayden blinked. "Who're...Zhane?" he corrected himself, looking at Merrick.

"Zhane," Merrick agreed. "And we need Antonio."

"You want distracting, or alone time?" Zhane asked.

"I...alone?" Jayden said cautiously.

"Fair enough. Adam's two booths behind you, go join him if you want." Zhane wrapped a hand around Antonio's arm, hauling him out of the booth and clear across the room.

Merrick hesitated for a moment before digging a pen out of his pocket and snagging a napkin. "If you need to," he said quietly, carefully printing a name and number, "this is Alyssa. She'll find me, or get you whatever you need, and she won't ask anything you don't want to tell."

Jayden accepted the napkin, staring at it. "She doesn't know me."

"She knows me. And you're a Ranger. There's a hundred names and numbers I can give you, Jayden, and any of them would gladly help you; once a Ranger, always a Ranger. It took me a long time to learn that. But Alyssa's who I trust."

"Thank you," he murmured.

"Use it if you have to?"

"I will."

Satisfied, Merrick followed the others. Zhane had settled Antonio with his back to Jayden, sliding in on the other side of the table. Merrick leaned against the wall beside them.

"Exactly how worried should I be right now?" Antonio asked him, eyeing Zhane warily.

"Very," Zhane said solemnly.

"Zhane, leave him alone," Merrick said wearily. "Antonio, Zhane and I were both Sixth Rangers to our teams."

"There's a lot of Rangers here," Antonio noted.

"We like to meet up every so often," Zhane said breezily. "Listen. What do you know about Sixth Rangers?"

"You're saying it like it's important. It's a number."

"It's not. Well," Zhane corrected himself, "sometimes it is. Some sixths are just the sixth one on to a team. But some of us are Sixths."

"You're doing that on purpose," Merrick said idly.

"Do you know how long it's been since I met a Sixth who doesn't know what he is?"

"Which are you?" Antonio asked Merrick.

"It depends which definitions you're using."

"You're a Sixth," Zhane said breezily. "The thing about Sixths, Antonio? Or, at least, the important thing right now? We don't fight for the same reasons as our teams. We can agree with those reasons, we can believe in the same goals, but they're not why we fight."

"You're fighting because Jayden is," Merrick continued. "Zhane was a Ranger because his best friend was."

"What about you?"

"I had things to make up for," he said vaguely.

"We also do the things our Reds won't. Or can't." Zhane leaned forward, suddenly serious. "I left my team, to protect a group of civilians. It meant that Andros could fight without guilt or worry because he knew that I was there, keeping them safe. There was a Sixth a couple of years after me who left his team so he could research how to destroy their villain forever. We see things outside of the team goal, beyond 'stop the bad guy'."

"OK," Antonio said slowly. "Not – sure I'm following..."

"Andros didn't ask me to go. And I know Carter didn't ask Ryan to go off and research; he never would have, it put Ryan at risk. We do it because they need it and they can't do it themselves."

"Ah." Antonio sighed, sliding down in his seat. "This is about leaving him alone?"

Zhane shrugged. "It's not _about_ anything except making you aware of this. You are very definitely a Sixth, and we're a friendly bunch. We like to help each other out." He grinned at the slightly disbelieving look Antonio was giving him. "Your view's skewed because you met Merrick first, but we're mostly a friendly bunch."

"So which sixths weren't Sixths?"

"You don't know any other Rangers," Merrick reminded him. "Names won't mean anything to you."

"True, but Jayden hasn't snuck off while I'm not looking yet, so we need something to talk about."

Zhane laughed. "I like this one. He's quick. Tommy Oliver was Earth's first sixth, but he wasn't a Sixth; he moved into leadership and now he's a mentor, and that's not a Sixth thing. We can follow orders or make our own choices but we aren't leaders, not unless we absolutely have to be. Mostly because we tend, sometimes, to be loyal to things other than the team. Or things as well as the team. For you and me it's our Red. We can lead, but we don't."

"The Zeo Rangers had a Gold sixth," Merrick continued. "But he'd been Red before and he came back only as a favour to the then-current Red. He's not a true Sixth. Zhane was next."

"The sixth after me wasn't using the same power as his team; he wasn't a true Sixth either. Ryan was after him, and the one after him didn't even like his team. They're friends now, I think, but they spent a long time working at cross purposes."

"I was after that," Merrick said. "The team after me started with three and moved up to five before they gained a Sixth; and he was a Sixth, it was all about family for him and he barely listened to his Red. Tommy Oliver was back on the next team; their Sixth was actually the fifth one to join, but he was a Sixth. He was fighting for redemption and to protect his father."

"Have we lost you yet?" Zhane asked, grinning.

"No, I'm following," Antonio assured him. "Go on."

"After Tommy was...uh. Mystic Force, wasn't it? Their sixth wasn't a Sixth, he was more of a mentor. After him, the next team had a Sixth; he kind of fell into being a Ranger, and he was fighting for revenge at first."

"You all know a lot about each other," Antonio said warily.

"That's Tommy Oliver's fault," Zhane complained lightly. "He's always checking in with us, finding out about the new teams – he hasn't talked to you?"

"He'd hardly talk to me. Maybe Mentor."

"Mentor." Merrick stirred. "That's Ji?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"You were angry at him earlier."

"Oh. Yeah." Antonio made a face. "Not really. I just pick at it sometimes."

"Pick at it?" Zhane repeated.

"Mentor Ji raised Jayden. Fifteen years. He and I were friends for – eight months, give or take, before I had to move away. Apart from that, he had no friends. He had no time off. He barely left the house; Mentor was determined he'd be better than his father, good enough to hold the Nighlok off until Lauren was ready. Good enough to survive where his father fell. Jayden never did anything but fight and train – but Mentor loves him, would die for him. It could have been much worse. I know that, just – sometimes I pick at it."

"Fifteen years?" Zhane repeated, clearly doing his best not to look at Jayden. "How old was he?"

"Five. Seven, when we were friends, but five when his father died."

Zhane whistled, long and low. "Fifteen years. He could give you a run for your money, Merrick." Turning, he added abruptly, "You knew him eight months and devoted your life to him?"

"How long did it take you?" Antonio protested.

"I knew Andros for years."

"Yeah, but how long did it take?"

"Not years," Zhane admitted.

Antonio relaxed suddenly. Merrick glanced around to see the door close quietly behind Jayden. "Mission accomplished?" Antonio asked tiredly.

"How long can you keep your team from going after him?"

"Not sure. If I can get Lauren and Ji onside, a while. Long enough, I hope. He'll come back if I ask, but I don't want to do it before he's ready."

"I wouldn't worry," Zhane advised him. "Whenever you go get him, he'll be ready. Coincidence doesn't mean much to a Ranger."

Antonio nodded, pushing slowly to his feet. "I'll remember. Thank you."

"Take care, Antonio."

"I will." He grinned suddenly. "Come by my stand sometime. On the house."

"Thanks," Zhane said with a grin, waiting until he'd walked away to say softly, "What's a stand and why is it on a house?"

Merrick shrugged, glancing up as Adam came to join them. "Well?"

"He looked better," Adam offered.

"Which of them?"

"Both. Either. Jayden needed to talk it out, and Antonio..."

"Needed a swift kick?" Zhane suggested.

"Something like that," Adam agreed with a laugh. "They're good kids. They'll be ok."

"Yeah," Merrick sighed. "Six years, right?"

"Six years," Adam agreed. "Something to look forward to."

"Yes," he murmured.

"You did good," Zhane said firmly. "Don't worry about it. I should go, the others'll be looking for me. See you 'round."

"Thanks for your help."

"Once a Ranger, right?" He grinned, jogging to the door and pausing to speak briefly with Fran on the way.

"He's right, you did good," Adam agreed. "They'll be fine."

"Have you ever seen them after they were Rangers?"

"No. But that doesn't mean anything. Some people just don't come in. And Tommy said the Samurai boy would pass on his power."

"Good," Merrick murmured, relaxing.

Adam studied him, a slow smile spreading across his face. "They really got to you, huh."

"I started training when I was six, but it was my choice. Nothing ever rested on me, not the way it does on him."

"Well, lucky for him he has somewhere he can come when he needs to and people he can talk to." Adam grinned at the look on his face. "Come on. Beat me at pool."

"It's not as much fun when we know who's going to win," Merrick said innocently.

Adam spluttered. "Hey! Active Ranger!"

"Uh huh. After you."

He glanced once at the door, and then put the Samurai out of his mind. He'd done everything he could. It was up to them now.

"The Power protect you," he murmured, and went to beat Adam.


	7. Adam, Cam, Zhane, Retro Rangers

Chapter Seven

Adam knew something was going on when Cam sat down opposite him.

Like Adam, Cam was a fixture at the Ranger's Rest. Unlike Adam, he rarely spoke to anyone, and he never spoke to anyone who wasn't contempory or older than he was. Cam took crossed timelines very seriously.

But today he was deliberately sitting in Adam's booth. Adam squinted, frowning. "You're older'n me. Five years at least. What're you doing?"

"What have you done?" Cam asked, leaning forward.

"What?"

"Your team's changed."

"Has it? To what?"

"To nothing. Every Ranger has a team, Adam, or at least a partner. Why are you solo?"

"Solo," Adam murmured.

"_Adam_," Cam insisted. Adam blinked, focusing again – why was he so _tired?_ – and realised that Cam was actually worried.

He produced his morpher, dropping it onto the table between them. Cam's eyes widened as he took in the damage. "You morphed with this? And you're conscious?"

"It didn't hold for long," Adam admitted.

"It shouldn't have lasted at all. What were you doing? You know better than this."

"It was necessary."

"Necessary," Cam repeated disbelievingly. Picking up the morpher, he probed it gently. "Of course it was."

Two glasses thumped on the table. Adam looked up in surprise as Zhane swung in to sit next to Cam. "Drink that," he ordered, pushing the second glass over to Cam.

"What is it?" Adam asked warily.

"Liquid."

"He's underage," Cam said without looking up from the morpher.

"He speaks!" Zhane grinned at the glare he got in response. "What's underage?"

"It means he can't have alcohol."

"Is this alcoholic?" Adam asked curiously. "It doesn't taste alcoholic."

"Stop drinking," Cam ordered.

"Why? You're not my team leader. I don't have a leader."

Cam glared at Zhane, who spread his hands defensively. "It's not that strong. It shouldn't be doing that to him."

"He's coming off a loss of power and a battle. His system's all over the place. Make yourself useful and get him something he can eat."

"Sure." Zhane headed for the bar.

Cam snatched Adam's drink as he went for it again. "Food first. Then you can drink." Adam scowled, and Cam added, "Don't make me get Tommy Oliver or Jason Scott in here."

"Jason's not my leader. And you can't make people come to Ranger's Rest, it doesn't work like that."

"You don't know this yet, because you're too young, but there's nothing I can't do."

Adam eyed him warily. He didn't know Cam that well – he didn't think they'd ever spoken – but he was fairly sure he wasn't lying. "After food?"

"You can drink whatever you like after you've eaten."

Zhane reappeared. "Fran's obviously not coming in, they're cooking pizza up there." He dropped a bowl in front of Adam. "Enjoy."

Adam stared at the bowl. "That's not pizza."

"Pizza's coming. Soup first." Zhane leaned over to Cam. "Is he all right?"

"Power loss," Cam said again. "Adam, how did this even work? The channels to the Power are completely gone."

Adam shrugged. "Morphers aren't my thing. I needed it to work, it worked."

"Until it didn't."

"Until it didn't," he agreed.

"You know this is just scrap metal now."

Adam reached across the table, taking the morpher from him. "It's a lot more than that."

"Eat," Zhane told him. "Faster you get some food, faster you can drink and get past the maudlin stage."

"The what?"

"I live with Andros, I know how this goes."

"No you don't, you're gone off with the rebels."

Zhane eyed him for a moment before looking at Cam. "He's not counting. When's the last time he didn't count?"

"He fell out of morph and lost his power, Zhane. Didn't that happen to you?"

"I fell out of morph," Zhane agreed. "I didn't lose my power."

"Rangers who are giving up or handing over their powers do it in private, out of battle, somewhere they can rest afterwards. Losing your power is exhausting. Doing it in battle is worse. My team – never mind, you're younger than I am."

"Pedant," Zhane said cheerfully, glancing at the bar. "Pizza's up. Be right back."

"You know I can hear you, right?" Adam asked, pushing his bowl away.

"No, I assumed that because you're three feet away you'd gone mysteriously deaf."

"That'll be why I don't talk to you."

"I don't talk to you," Cam corrected him.

"Pedant."

Cam rolled his eyes, sitting back as Zhane put a platter on the table and passed glasses of water around. "Dig in." Adam obeyed, taking a slice and picking off the pepperoni. Cam ignored it, sipping his water for something to do.

"You don't want some?" Zhane asked.

Cam eyed the pizza. "That? No."

Adam grinned. "Training diet."

"Training diet? Seriously?"

"It's all very well for active Rangers," Cam snapped. "Metabolism goes up. You can eat anything you want. The rest of us have to be careful."

Adam stared at his plate and Zhane sighed. "Nice, Cam, you set him off again. Where's the alcohol?"

"He can't have alcohol."

"You said I could after I ate!"

"Yeah, that was what we call a misdirection."

Zhane looked at Adam. "I'm still getting used to Earth English. That's another word for lie, right?"

"No," Cam told him crisply. "A lie is when you say something untrue. A misdirection is where you imply something untrue."

"You said I could drink whatever I wanted after I ate."

"And turned twenty one. That part was implicit. You can't have alcohol, your system's still off."

"And you're underage!" Zhane said cheerfully. "Well, if you can't have alcohol, sugar's the next best thing. Be right back."

"That guy needs to be tied down," Cam muttered, watching him go.

"Cam?" Adam said quietly. "No team?"

"You burned out your morpher. The trace energy that tied you to the Morphin' Rangers is gone. And you passed on the Turbo powers."

"No team ever again?"

Cam closed his eyes momentarily. "I can't confirm or deny. You know that."

Adam nodded slowly. "No team," he said, as though testing.

"It doesn't mean no team. My team –" Cam swallowed. "You know when I am?"

"Six years."

"I'm active five years after you. And our powers are ripped away in our last battle. But we're still a team, Adam. Losing the Power isn't the end of everything, whatever it feels like."

From the corner of his eye he saw Zhane start towards them, clock their expressions and abruptly turn away, dropping beside the curly haired, nervous boy and talking loudly. The Astro Ranger was headstrong and careless, but he had an almost supernatural ability to read people.

"You told me about something that hasn't happened yet," Adam murmured. "That's against your rules."

Cam smiled faintly. "My Yellow Ranger would say something long and complicated with lots of weird references, and it would boil down to; rules are made to be broken."

"She sounds smart."

He snorted softly. "I'll pass that along. Drink your water, ok?"

"You're being nice. I should talk to you more often."

"You definitely shouldn't. Drink the water or I'll pour it down your throat, how about that?"

"Yes, sir," he muttered, taking a sip.

"It feels like the end," Cam murmured. "Like nothing will ever be right again; like you've lost who you are. But it's not. It gets better."

Adam studied him for a long moment. "Should really talk to you more often."

Cam rolled his eyes, looking around to find Zhane already coming towards them. "Oh joy," he said dryly. "Sugar. Just what Zhane needs."

"I heard that," Zhane told him, sliding a smoothie towards Adam and another glass of water to Cam. "I'm not drinking anything, for your information, I have to go soon."

"Aw, so soon? What a terrible shame."

"Be nice," Adam told him, taking a sip. "Blearugh. What's in this?"

Zhane shrugged. "Dunno. Some kind of fruit. And lots of sugar."

"It's awful."

"Drink it anyway," Cam ordered.

"Sir," Adam muttered. "Is this bananas and pineapple?"

Zhane shrugged again. "Who knows? Your fruits are weird."

"And cherries?"

Cam made a face. "Drink a bit more. Sugar is good."

"Not active, remember? I have to be careful what I eat."

"I think you'll be all right today. Zhane, shift." Zhane blinked, standing so Cam could get out of the booth. "I'll be back in a minute."

Zhane gave him approximately five seconds before sliding a glass over to Adam. "Drink up."

"That's the alcohol."

"Yep. Quick, down the hatch before Cam gets back." Adam eyed him, and he sighed. "Or don't. Up to you."

"I'm underage."

"I'm sure that's very serious," he agreed solemnly. "It sure sounds like something a Ranger should remember. Want the drink or not? He'll be back in a second."

"Hand it over." Adam downed the glass, taking a gulp from his smoothie to hide the taste. "Blearugh."

"Good." Zhane pulled the glass in front of himself. Cam would know, of course, but there was no reason to make it easy on him.

"Why d'you want me to get drunk?" Adam asked.

"I told you. I live with Andros. I know about brooding and how to deal with it. Drunk helps mute it out for a little while, and by the time you get better it won't be so immediate. Talking about it might work for Cam, but getting drunk works for everyone."

"I've never been drunk before."

"You're not drunk _now_. You're just a little bit buzzed. Possibly. Do you feel any different?"

"Shove in," Cam ordered, and Zhane bounced down the seat to make room for him. "How's your smoothie, Adam?"

"Fruity. And sugary. Yum." He took a gulp and tried very hard not to choke on it.

Cam snorted, turning to look at Zhane. "You can't even get him drunk discreetly."

"The actual getting him drunk was very discrete," Zhane protested. "He's just not a discrete drunk. And he's not drunk."

"Oh, does Cam know now?" Adam asked. "Can I have some more, then?"

Cam sighed, shaking his head. "Finish your water, and then you can have more."

"Aw..."

"You're supposed to balance water and alcohol," Cam reminded him. "Drink your water and then Zhane can get you something to drink."

"Whoa, hang on, when did I become the supplier?" Zhane asked in alarm.

"When you started supplying him," Cam said matter of factly. Adam held up his empty glass and Cam grinned, sliding out of the booth. "Off you go."

"Try and help someone and this is what you get," Zhane said with a sigh. Cam just smiled and he headed off, still muttering to himself.

The rest of the evening blurred for Adam; he was aware that Cam stayed with them, making him drink enough water to stay relatively sober, and that Zhane, despite what he'd said, hung around, sharing ridiculous and probably made up stories about his time as a Ranger. He was aware of Tommy talking to Cam – an older Tommy, but Adam's eyes crossed when he tried to figure out how much older he was. "Try not to drink too much," he suggested. "I remember being really angry with you tomorrow."

"Timelines!" Adam pressed a finger to his lips on the second try, mumbling around it "You can't do that when Cam's here. He doesn't like it."

Tommy glanced at Cam, amused. "At least he's a happy drunk."

"Shush," Adam insisted.

"You morphed with a broken morpher, knowing it could kill you, and you thought I wouldn't be angry? The only reason I'm not yelling now is you'll be hung over tomorrow."

"Sadist."

"No, a sadist would hand you over to Trini or Aisha while you were hung over."

Adam took a moment to work though that. "Yeah, point," he managed finally.

"Um," said Zhane.

"Um?" Cam repeated. "No one likes a Ranger who says um, Zhane."

"What um?" Tommy agreed.

"He's not going to be hung over."

"Of course he is. He's had four or five of those drinks you're bringing him."

"They're..." He glanced at Adam, editing himself. "Not local. No hangover. Especially since he's matching them with water."

"Ha!" Adam said triumphantly. "No hangover. I won't have any hangover."

"Good, then I can stop feeling guilty about getting Aisha in on yelling at you. See you tomorrow."

Cam gave up trying to make Adam stop drinking after that, though he did make sure he kept balancing his drinks. Zhane came and went and eventually stayed gone, and a little while after that Adam put his head down on the table and went to sleep.

Adam almost never spoke to Cam after that day. Cam certainly never approached him again. Adam didn't push it; Ranger's Rest would work its magic and if they ever needed him again, he'd be ready.

The night of their victory over Thrax, he left his team – new team! He had a team! – at the bar and crossed to Cam's booth. "Just so you know," he announced, "I plan on getting drunk tonight."

"Good luck, Justin's here." Cam looked up from his book, eyes flickering over Adam, and grinned. "New team?"

"New team!" Adam agreed, concentrating very hard on not rhapsodising about them. "How long have you known?"

Cam shrugged. "You've always been hard to read. I see all your teams at the same time. Hard to tell what goes when."

"So, always," Adam translated. Cam scowled but didn't argue, and he decided that was as good as an admission.

"Who's with you?" Cam asked, glancing past him.

"My new team." And he should really stop smiling so widely. Sometime. Later. "Why?"

"If you remember, the last time you got drunk in here..."

"Only time I got drunk in here!"

"...we had to let you sleep it off in a booth because we couldn't find anyone who could take you home. And Zhane isn't here today. No hangover free alcohol."

"Bridge is from 2027. He says they have drinks like that there. Anyway, it's moot while Justin's here."

"He probably won't be here very long, then. Are they legal?"

"I'm not sure about Kira," Adam admitted. "I'll have to check."

"Tell me, did Tommy unleash Aisha on you the day after you got drunk?"

Adam winced. "Why do you think I never got drunk again?"

"But you're doing it today?"

"Special circumstances."

"Have fun," Cam told him, turning back to his book and effectively blanking Adam.

They did have fun. They started out on soft drinks, but after a while Adam realised he was drinking alcohol. A glance around confirmed that neither Justin nor the Samurai boy – one of these days, Adam _would_ figure out his name – was there, and everyone else was either over their majority or close enough to it.

Kira, it turned out, was not only legal, but she knew all the best drinking games. Adam had half expected Bridge to go down early, but long after Adam's vision was swimming Bridge was still matching Kira and Tori drink for drink.

"How're you doing that?" he asked after a while.

"Doing what?"

"You're not even drunk!" he said accusingly.

Bridge smiled. "I will have been going to be living in the SPD barracks since I was fifteen, which is twelve years in the future of now. And I was will be going to be on a team with Jack and Z for a year."

Adam didn't even try to unravel the grammar. Maybe Bridge was drunk after all, although he wasn't quite sure why it would manifest like that. "Barracks! Not a dorm! They're meant to be strict about things like this!" He rounded on Tori, almost falling over before Xander got an arm around him. "What's your excuse?"

"I spent a year on a team with five boys, Adam. I can burp the alphabet, too."

"Does Blake know about that?"

"Who do you think taught me?" she said with a grin.

"Gross," Adam muttered, twisting to try and see Xander. "You're not drinking?"

"I'm the DD, remember? Someone has to get us back to the house."

"But we don't get hangovers, right?" Suddenly anxious, he looked at Bridge, vaguely aware that Xander was steadying him again.

"No hangovers," Bridge confirmed. "But we still get drunk. Really drunk, apparently, looking at you."

"You're such a lightweight," Kira agreed. "Don't you ever drink?"

"Only been drunk once," Adam muttered.

"Seriously? But you're Dr O's age."

It took him a minute to remember who Dr O was. "Older," he said firmly. "I am older than he is."

"That's even worse. You've only been drunk once? Whose round is it?"

"I don't think we have to try much harder," Xander said in amusement.

"M'not drunk," Adam protested.

"Just leaning on me for the fun? Plan Xander always works eventually."

Adam thought about that for a while. "Water," he said eventually. "We all need water. Whose round is it?"

"It should be yours, but I'm not convinced you can get to the bar and back," Kira said cheerfully. "C'mon, Bridge, we're up."

"Why us?" Bridge protested.

"We're sober-ish."

"Xander's actually sober!"

"And holding up our fearless leader. Come on, it won't take long."

Adam frowned, concentrating. "Tori?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you really burp the alphabet?"

"Do you want a demonstration?"

"No!" Xander and Adam overlapped each other. That struck Adam as really funny, and he was still laughing when Kira and Bridge came back with glasses and a pitcher of water.

"What did you do?" Kira asked, glaring at Xander.

"Hey! Me? Why am I the one in trouble here?"

"She probably thought it was you because on her first team, she was the one with the most social aptitude, so if something went wrong it was a guy's fault, and I was with her and Adam's probably not laughing at himself, so that leaves you. Although he's pretty drunk. He could be laughing at himself." Bridge poured out four glasses before realising they were staring at him. "What?"

"How do you know about my team? My other team?"

"It's all will be in the historical databanks. I will have had a little time to do some reading before I went came back."

"You knew this was going to happen before it happened?"

"It was after it happened," Bridge reminded her. "From where I was, anyway. And no. Operation Overdrive isn't won't be very well documented, for some reason. No mention of Thrax, or us."

"Probably better," Adam mused. "There's a lot of old Rangers out there would have loved to be picked for this. We shouldn't rub it in."

"Are you sober?" Tori asked, eyeing him.

"No." Adam stared at the pitcher for a moment before looking back at her. "Make it do something cool."

"I thought you liked being old school and hands on?" Xander teased him.

"I could be hands on with that jug, but it would end up in your lap," Adam told him.

"It's so wrong to hear things like that from my teacher's teammate," Kira muttered. "Do something with the water, Tori."

"Why don't you do something?"

"Cos I kind of think they'd rather all the glassware stays in one piece. Come on."

Sighing, Tori gestured at the pitcher. A thin stream of water pushed up out of it, swaying over the table like a snake; Adam laughed, reaching for it, and it splattered all over his hand. "Cold," he protested, shaking it off.

"It's drinking water. What were you expecting?"

"Did you make it cold?"

"No," she said patiently. "It's just cold."

"Are you sure?"

"It's just cold. Let's not do that anymore, then."

Xander struck up a loud conversation with Kira about having her into his music store for a session. Tori offered to come, and Bridge made vague references to things that might or might not happen at it.

"They have no record of Operation Overdrive in the future, but some random music session in a little music shop, that you know about?" Tori asked exasperatedly.

"Whoever put will put the archives together had will have a weird sense of priorities," Bridge agreed.

"Hey! Random?" Kira protested.

Adam smiled dreamily, listening to his team. "It would have been worth it," he said abruptly.

"What's worth what?" Kira asked.

"The hangover."

"What now?" Xander asked.

"The hangover," Adam repeated. "It'd be worth it, for a night like tonight."

"Oh, lord, he's hitting the maudlin stage. Someone get another drink into him," Kira said, looking around.

"My round," Tori said with a grin. "I'll be right back."

"Play dead," Xander urged Adam. "I've seen that look on a woman's face before. It usually ends up badly."

"Tori's on our team, Xander," Adam said sternly. The effect was marred by his grin. "She's not going to do anything bad."

"Uh huh," Xander said disbelievingly. "Then why is she grinning like that?"

"Maybe she's happy."

"Maybe she's plotting something," he muttered.

Tori reappeared, carefully carrying a tray with five little glasses of something neon on it. "Yours is water with food colouring," she said before Xander could protest. "I thought you might like to join in."

"Thanks, Tori," he said, pleased. "Sit up, bossman, you can't drink anything like that."

"I can sit up any time I want to."

"Good, sit up now, then."

He poked Adam until he sat up, grumbling. "What is this?" he asked, studying the drink.

"It's a toast," Tori told him. "To the Retro Rangers. Here's to showing them that old school can still get it done."

Adam grinned, raising his glass and meeting all their gazes, one by one. "The Retro Rangers."


	8. RJ, Kat, PROO Rangers, background others

Author's note: glitter borrowed, with love and gratitude, from starandrea, who always sparkles.

Chapter Eight

RJ hadn't really planned it, so maybe the face full of glitter was karma trying to tell him something.

He recognised the sign, of course, when he saw it; the Ranger's Rest was the cafe Fran had liked so much. He knew she'd made a special visit before leaving with Dom to tell the regulars she'd be gone for a while. He hadn't planned to stop – he'd only left JKP to run some messages – but Camille and Flit and Theo were all on shift, so he didn't need to hurry back. And he'd like to see what had captivated Fran so. Mind made up, he stepped inside.

And got a face full of glitter.

"Happy birth...day..."

"Namaste," he offered, swiping a hand across his eyes.

"I'm so sorry!" Someone pressed a cloth into his hands. "I thought you were someone else. Are you ok? Did I get it in your eyes?"

"That's not Mack," a second voice pointed out.

"I know," the first one snapped. "Look, get a glass of water or something, can you?"

RJ finally got his eyes clear. "Persistent," he noted.

"Yeah." The voice belonged to a tall girl with dark blonde hair. "They're designed to grip."

"Who doesn't like a little more sparkle in their life?" RJ smiled at her.

"I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Honestly."

"Well, Mack should be here any minute. Stay for the party?"

RJ bowed his head. "Thank you."

"Great." Looking past him, she added, "Dax, this is..."

"RJ..."

"RJ. He's joining us. Get him a drink, ok?"

"Sure," Dax agreed cheerfully. "This way, RJ. What's your poison?"

"I'm always open to new experiences."

"Man after my own heart. We're alcohol free tonight, but Rose swears this is the best thing ever."

RJ eyed the neon green drink. "How kind of Rose."

"Someone say my name?" a dark haired girl asked, pausing as she passed them.

"Just complementing your choice of drink," Dax said quickly.

"Thanks." She glanced questioningly at RJ.

"Ah. Rose, meet RJ. Ronny glittered him by accident, so now he's invited."

"The more the merrier. Can I get you anything, RJ?"

"No, thank you."

"Here," the second voice said abruptly. RJ turned to see a blond man holding a pitcher of water. "Ronny said I should get this."

"She said that five minutes ago, Ty!" Dax protested.

"I couldn't find the glasses." Ty sounded vaguely wounded.

"So you just gave up on them completely?"

"I don't know what he wants the water for! Maybe it's to wash out that glitter. Where'd you even find it, anyway?"

RJ was quietly wondering the same thing; he'd combed a couple of bits out of his hair, and they were glowing, not just reflecting the light.

"Another stunt guy I know gave it to me; he said he got it from a friend, or a friend of a friend, or something. It's good, isn't it?"

"It. _never. Comes. Off._"

"RJ, this is Tyzonn," Rose said brightly, apparently deciding no one else was going to do the honours. "Ty, RJ."

"Nice to meet you." Ty attempted to shake with the hand still holding the pitcher, staring at it in mild confusion.

RJ took it from him. "Nice to meet you, Tyzonn. Thank you."

"Hey, I think Vella's looking for you!" Dax said abruptly. Tyzonn glanced around, face lighting up, and went to join a girl with the same striking blonde hair as him.

"Enjoy your drink, RJ," Rose said, taking the water pitcher with an apologetic smile. "Let me know if you need anything."

"Thank you," RJ said, saluting with his mostly full glass.

Dax had wandered off somewhere, he discovered when he looked around. After a moment he saw him on the other side of the room, teasing a young boy in a blue top as they hung streamers.

"Surprise!" Ronny yelled from the door, almost immediately adding "I'm sorry! I thought you were my friend! Are you all right?"

"Someone needs to take that glitter away from her," a man wearing black told Rose.

"She's having fun, Will, leave her alone."

"She's gonna use it all up before Mack even gets here!"

Ronny's newest victim extricated herself, coming to sit on a stool near RJ. He leaned over, careful to stay in her field of vision, and coaxed a sparkle out of her hair, laying it gently on the bar. "They cling," he said apologetically.

"So I see," she agreed, picking one off his sleeve. "I'm Kat." The Australian accent was a mild surprise.

"RJ."

"Surprise!"

They looked over to see a man in a uniform and red beret brushing off Ronny's attempts at apology, finally pushing past her to reach a booth. Ronny made a face at his back, turning away to check her glitter supplies.

"She's very enthusiastic," RJ offered.

"Yeah. It's nice," Kat agreed.

Dax passed by, stopping dead. "Oh, for the love of...Ronny! Turn around!"

RJ looked over to see a man with curly hair grinning at Ronny, who scowled. Tossing a handful of glitter into the air, she said flatly, "Surprise."

"Mack?" Kat guessed, looking at Dax.

"Mack," he agreed, pushing his armload of streamers at RJ and bouncing down the steps to join them.

"So the birthday boy gets less glitter than anyone," Kat said with a sigh.

"It looks that way," RJ agreed.

"It was nice to meet you, RJ. I'm going to find a booth just in case she has anything else planned."

"Nice to meet you, Kat."

She headed for a booth as far from the birthday group as possible. RJ watched them for a while; despite the failure of Ronny's surprise, Mack seemed to be having a good time, laughing with the others.

Eventually he came up to the bar with Rose to collect some drinks, and she remembered RJ. "Oh, hey. Mack, this is RJ."

"Another of Ronny's victims?" he said with a grin. "I think she got just about everyone. Sorry about that."

RJ shrugged. "A little more light in the world. Happy birthday."

"Thanks! I'm one today!"

"Twenty one," Rose corrected him. "We've been through this, Mack, you're twenty one."

"I'm one," he told RJ.

Rose smiled uncomfortably at him, pulling Mack away, back towards the party. "You're twenty one!" she hissed. Loudly, she added, "Party games!"

"Yes!" Dax seconded. "Let's do that!"

"What's a party game?" Tyzonn asked, and was immediately shushed by the others.

RJ smiled, watching them play a haphazard game of pin the tail on the – some kind of monster, he didn't recognise it. Dax loudly accused Mack of cheating, though he was rather vaguer on how, exactly, the cheating was being done. Rose defended Mack; Tyzonn swapped sides at random, agreeing with whoever was talking at any given moment. It was loud and chaotic and good-natured and RJ missed his team fiercely for a moment.

Rose must have caught the look, because she bounded up to him, grinning. "Have a go?"

"Ah..."

"Please? Even out the teams?"

"You have three on each team."

Rose grinned. "Dax keeps lobbying for Justin. I think it's cos they're about the same age mentally." RJ glanced over to see Dax talking to the young boy who'd helped with the streamers.

"Plus he was helping out."

"Plus he was helping out," Rose agreed. "Come on, please?"

"Tell him it'll be a new experience!" Dax yelled. Rose grinned, looking back at RJ; he gave in as gracefully as he could, sliding off the seat and following her to the others. Justin was taking a turn, and Ronny had spun him so enthusiastically that he was wandering off in entirely the wrong direction. Tyzonn was following him, watching to make sure he didn't walk into anything.

"What is this I'm attempting to pin the tail on?" RJ asked, examining the hand-made picture.

"Norg," Mack said, at the same time as Will said "It's a Yeti." Scowling, he corrected himself, "Norg."

"Norg," RJ repeated thoughtfully.

"Here." Rose held out the blindfold. "Ready?"

"All right," RJ agreed. Behind them, Tyzonn was yelling directions at Justin; it wasn't helping, because he was basing them on galactic coordinates that RJ thought he might be making up on the spot.

Dax went after them to rescue Justin, returning with the 'tail' in one hand and supporting Justin with the other. "Tyzonn's not allowed to help any more," he announced.

"It's not my fault he fell over that girl!" Tyzonn protested. "She wasn't even hurt!" Justin made a face at him.

Mack laughed, looking at RJ. "If Tyzonn's booted – you're welcome, but I know Rose shanghaied you."

"Hey!" Rose protested. Mack grinned at her and she faltered, looking away with her arms crossed defiantly.

"So please do play if you want to," he continued, turning back to RJ.

"Thank you." RJ grinned. "I don't scare that easy. Bring it on."

Mack whooped and Will laughed. Dax cheered. Rose, laughing, gestured RJ to turn around.

"Any last words?" she asked.

RJ eyed the poster. "This'll be a breeze."

Rose laughed, looping the blindfold on. Someone touched his arm and he went with the motion, letting them twirl him. Laughter surrounded him as someone steadied him and he grinned, knowing they'd see it, and set out to join in.


	9. RJ, Eric

Chapter Nine

Mack's party wound down eventually. RJ had begged off once it got to presents and food, since he wasn't really part of the group, and he watched them from the bar for a while.

Mack came around to thank him for coming, and dragged Ronny to apologise again for glittering him. Kat had vanished a while ago, and Justin was long gone, but the man in the beret was still in his booth, and RJ watched idly as Ronny attempted to apologise to him and was brushed off.

On impulse, he turned to the barman. "One of whatever he's having."

The barman glanced towards the booth. "He won't thank you."

"It's not about getting thanked."

"Oh? What's it about, then?"

RJ plucked a piece of glitter off his shoulder, laying it on the bar. "It's about bringing a little light into the world."

"Your funeral," he said with a shrug, placing a glass on the bar.

"Thanks." RJ lifted it, walking carefully down to the booth and sliding it in.

The man glanced sidewards at it. "I didn't order that."

"I know," RJ said cheerfully, ignoring his jump; he obviously hadn't realised who was there. "It's a gift, in the spirit of solidarity."

"Solidarity?" the man repeated with a snort. RJ pulled another piece of glitter free and his expression slid towards understanding. "Huh. Got you too."

"Yes." RJ slid the glass in a little further. "Ronny was very enthusiastic."

"That's one word for it. She was one of mine, she'd be on report right now."

The mention of _report_ made something click in RJ's mind and he recognised the man in front of him. The red beret had thrown him; Eric Meyers didn't usually wear red, as far as he remembered, that was Wes.

"Enjoy your drink," he said as politely as he could, turning to leave.

"Hang on." Eric touched his back and RJ waited patiently while he tugged and twisted. "Here," he said finally, passing him several of the little sparkles.

"Thank you. May I..." He gestured to Eric's shirt and the other man sighed, sitting stiffly while RJ combed several sparkles out.

"I'd change shirts before addressing the troops," he said finally. Eric stared at him suspiciously and he added, "Silver Guardians, right? I passed through Silver Hills a few times."

"Yeah." Eric relaxed slightly; RJ took the moment and slid into the booth, and Eric sighed but didn't complain. "Passed through?"

"I live in Ocean Bluff."

"Never been. I hear it's nice."

"It has its' moments," RJ agreed. "If you're visiting, come see Jungle Karma Pizza. On the house."

"I know someone would take you up on that."

"Bring him along, then."

"Him," Eric echoed.

"Or them. Her? Whoever. Open door policy. Ask for RJ."

"You always invite people you've just met to have a free pizza, RJ?"

RJ smiled. "Just the ones who look like they'd appreciate it."

"I look like I'd appreciate it?"

"You're smiling."

Eric deliberately scowled. "Look, this is all very entertaining, but I've got work to do."

RJ snagged a napkin, carefully printing JKP's address. "Here. "

Eric glanced carelessly at it. "Whatever."

"Nice to meet you, Eric."

"Uh huh."

RJ stood and headed for the door, ignoring the barman's knowing look to glance back. He was just in time to see Eric fold the napkin and put it carefully into his pocket.

RJ grinned, turning away. Time to go home.


	10. Kai, Wes

Kai glanced around, frowning. He'd thought he knew all the cafes on Terra Venture, but this was a new one on him. At least they had a good menu.

Most of the tables were full. Glancing around, he found a booth with only one occupant, a blond man doing paperwork.

"Excuse me. Do you mind if I sit here?"

"Hmm?" He looked up, blinking, and then focused. "Oh, sorry. Sure, no prob. Let me just clear these."

Kai waited patiently while he piled his sheets together. "Looks complicated."

"Ah, just time consuming. The further up the ladder you go, right? Wes."

"Kai. Nice to meet you."

He didn't mean to peek. He was just planning on eating and going. But Wes seemed to be badly filling out time sheets by hand and the sheer incongruity of it kept catching his eye.

"I'm sorry," he said finally, "but I think you've gone wrong."

"What's that?" Wes asked cheerfully.

Kai leaned forward to point it out. "Unless your worker actually did sixty three hours in the last three days..."

"Ah, thanks." Wes quickly fixed it. "He would if he could, but those pesky labour laws, you know."

"Workaholic?"

"Not really. He just thinks things like sleeping and eating are for lesser mortals."

"I know the type."

"His idea to do these things by hand, but where is he when it's time to do them?"

"Off not eating or sleeping," Kai guessed.

"That's what I'm betting."

"You do this by hand every week?"

"God no. Randomly, once a quarter. Make sure no one's claiming over or under. I approve in theory, I just wish he wasn't always busy when it comes time – don't listen to me, I'm just moaning now. Long day, you know how it is."

Kai smiled faintly. "Can you refuse? Tell him you need his input? Pretend there's someone you're not sure of and call him?"

"I like that plan," he said with a grin. "Keep calling him until he gets irritated enough to just do it. Good thinking."

"I have my moments."

"Sounds like experience to me."

Kai smiled noncommittally. His team might irritate him beyond belief most days, but they were still his team. And they were getting better.

Wes didn't push him, just finished the sheet he was working on and tidied everything into his folder. "Thanks for the advice. Maybe I'll see you again?"

"Maybe," Kai agreed. "Good luck with your teammate."

"Thanks. See you around."


	11. Trini, Ziggy

Chapter 11

Normally, Ziggy wouldn't have said anything. He hadn't survived this long by randomly inserting himself into other people's business. But his new morpher was heavy, and he was completely exhausted and totally hyped up, and whatever filters he usually had – and he did have filters, whatever anyone else said – weren't at their best.

He'd been staring at the book for a while before he realised what he was looking at. "Heidi," he said, and he'd mostly meant it to be quiet but the girl on the next table heard him anyway and looked up, smiling. "Sorry," he added. "I've never seen it in – German?"

"I'm trying to learn. I thought reading a story I actually know might help." She put the book down, stretching.

Ziggy reached for it curiously, glancing at her for permission. She nodded, watching as he scanned the back cover. "Heidi – lives on the mountain – and spends her days with the goats – something about the city –"

"You speak German?"

"Ah, little bit. Not much. I do know Heidi, though." He opened it randomly, reading through the first few lines. "Cool story," he added distractedly.

He didn't ask why she was trying to learn German. People dealt with life under the Dome in a lot of ways. He did wonder vaguely where she'd found a copy of Heidi in German.

"My dad used to read it to me." The girl smiled softly. "I don't remember the religion being this heavy handed, though."

Ziggy dragged his chair around the table, closer to her, and went back to the top of the page. " 'Neighbour, your mountains have been a good church to you, and brought you to mine in the right frame of mind; you will not be sorry. I will look forward to many happy evenings spent in discussion; and we will find companions for the little one.' He patted Heidi's curly hair, and took her hand as they walked to the door..."

"You're not translating that," she interrupted him.

He grinned. "Nah. I just always liked that bit." He slid the book back across to her. "Ziggy."

"Trini."

"What gave me away?"

She considered for a moment. "Mountains."

"Wh – three words in? I couldn't even get three words in?"

"No, it's just that I could see what you were reading, and I actually know the word for mountains."

"Ah. Foiled by my own not bothering to find the right page."

"That'll do it all right," she agreed with a grin. "So. What are you hiding from?"

"Hiding from?" he said involuntarily.

Trini gestured around. "Everyone in here's hiding." Someone cheered in a corner, and she added, "Or they're part of that guy's birthday party. How'd you avoid getting glittered?"

"Oh, I'm good at not being seen."

"Oh?"

"What are you hiding from?" he asked.

"I'm not hiding. I'm – adjusting." He raised an eyebrow and she added, "I was on a team, until recently. An important team. Important things. But sometimes you have to move on."

"I've just joined an important team doing important things." Ziggy sighed, tugging absently at his morpher. "Only I was an accident. A mistake. I wasn't supposed to be on it, and now they're stuck with me."

"I'm sure they're not stuck with you..."

"Oh, yes they are. You don't know them. Doc K won't even use my name." Frowning, he added, "Although he doesn't use anyone's name, so I'm not sure that's actually an indicator, now that I think about it."

"If he doesn't use anyone's name, then not using yours means he thinks you're one of the group," Trini pointed out.

"I guess..."

"Did you want to be on the team?"

He had to think about that one. "They do big important things."

"But?"

"I'm not a big important things person. I'm the hangs out in the background passing drinks to the big important things people – person." Trini frowned, and he added, "I lost that one a bit, sorry."

"Sometimes the hanging out in the background person saves the day, though." For a moment her gaze was very far away before she refocused.

"But you left your team," Ziggy said curiously.

"Well." She picked up her book, flicking idly through it. "Sometimes you have to. There are other things, important things, and being on the important people team can blind you to those other things."

Ziggy was staring at her. "More important?"

"Different important," she corrected him. "Like...being a soldier, against being a teacher. Both are important, both are different. One can become the other."

"Are you a teacher now, or a soldier?" he asked quietly.

She smiled, holding up the book. "I'm a student."

"Of German. Right."

"Well, you have to start somewhere."

Ziggy smiled and took the book, flicking to the first page. "On a – clear – morning in June, two – people – climbed the – narrow – path..."


	12. Almost Everyone

Chapter Twelve

Afterwards, they decided it was all Fran's fault.

Of course, they made sure she wasn't in the building when they decided that.

At first Fran had only brought her teammates in when they'd had a bad day, when they needed to brood or vent or distract themselves. As she got more used to the place, though, she started bringing them in whenever.

Everything started the day she brought Dom and Casey in together.

It was a fairly quiet day, as days went. Andros and his team, minus Karone today, were messing around on the pool table. Chip and Xander were in a booth with Madison. Adam and Cam, of course, in their respective booths.

Fran left the boys at a table while she went to order. When she came back, they were whispering urgently, though they sprang apart guiltily as soon as Dom noticed her.

She didn't ask. If it was something she needed to know, Ranger's Rest would make sure she found out. If not, she'd rather not. Those two could come up with some alarming things when left to their own devices.

She still remembered the exploding pizza.

The meal itself was fine - no pizza, as usual - and Fran forgot she'd been suspicious right up until Casey started distracting her and Dom slipped away. He came back a few minutes later, grinning broadly as he settled back into his seat, and she studied him curiously. "Where were you?"

"What? Nowhere. What?"

Casey sighed. "Nice, Dom, very casual."

"You're just jealous," Dom said lightly, grinning at Fran.

Someone yelled behind them and they turned to see Zhane lunging for the nearest soft drink, gulping it desperately. Cassie was patting him on the back; TJ and Carlos were laughing helplessly. Andros just looked confused, and Fran sympathized; no matter how long he spent on Earth or how often he visited, Andros never seemed to learn much.

Zhane downed his second drink and looked up, scowling. Dom whipped around to stare intently at Casey, ignoring Zhane's accusing look.

"Dom, you didn't," Fran said with a sigh.

"Don't know what you're talking about," he assured her, choking back laughter.

She turned to glare at Casey. "You're not supposed to encourage him!"

Casey lifted his hands defensively. "I didn't do anything!"

Zhane leaned over Dom's shoulder, smiling pleasantly. "Of course you know, this means war."

"Bring it on," Dom agreed, eyes bright.

Fran sent the two boys out together, hanging back to find Zhane. "He won't remember, you know," she reminded him. "There's no point in revenge."

"Revenge is its' own point." He kissed her hand, grinning at her. "Be careful, Fran. You don't want to get caught up in this."

"Children," she muttered, stalking out.

Zhane's revenge was simple enough, though Fran never figured out exactly how he did it. The next time Dom visited the Ranger's Rest, everyone stopped talking and watched him. Dom was not, by anyone's standard, shy, but having everyone stare at him set him on edge, and he hurried out halfway through his meal, completely unsettled.

Fran attempted some angry talks, but everyone involved claimed innocence, and she had to give up. Apparently they'd all just been lost in thought, or looking at something across the room, or trying to catch someone else's eye, and Dom had happened to be in the way. No one would admit to anything else, and Zhane wasn't even there.

Fran wasn't sure about bringing Dom back after that, but he kept asking her; he didn't remember the specifics, he never did, but he knew he'd been pranked and he was trying to get back. Eventually Fran gave in and went back with him.

She stopped keeping track after a while. Dom's second prank was a whoopee cushion with a stinkbomb inside; Zhane had retaliated with a bucket over the door, but that had caught Taylor, which meant Dom had two more teams on his side. The whole thing steam rolled and she very quickly lost track of who was pranking who why in return for what.

Someone on Zhane's team knew someone with an endless list of ways for someone to get hit with smoothie mixture or knocked into a cake; experience, apparently, though Fran felt very sorry for whoever had gained all that experience. The nature of the Ranger's Rest meant no one was safe, and the Rangers who remembered took to hiding out in Adam's booth whenever they came in. Cam tried staying aloof, but someone - probably Ethan - messed with the sprinklers one day and his booth got completely soaked.

For some reason, no one ever went near Adam's booth; he was just about the only person who was never pranked, no matter what was going on.

Fran came in one day, ducked a stream of silly string from an over enthusiastic Antonio, and slid into the booth beside Jayden. "Morning."

"Morning, Fran." Adam grinned at her, pushing a glass across the table. "Hey, what was the first prank you saw?"

"Dom did something to Zhane's drink. Why?"

"They're trying to make a timeline," Merrick told her.

"Why?"

"They're bored."

"Hey!" Adam protested. "Aren't you curious?"

Merrick caught the paper airplane aimed at his head without looking at it, launching it back into the restaurant. "Not really."

"The drink thing was the second one I saw," Jayden told Fran. "The whoopee cushion came before that."

"I thought the whoopee cushion was because of how everyone stared at him that one time."

Adam laughed softly. "That was funny."

"He was freaked out for a week after that! We had to put him in the kitchen because he kept screaming every time a customer approached him!"

"Funny," Adam agreed.

"Look, someone must have an objective, linear view of this place, right?" Jayden asked.

"The other staff do, but they won't tell you," Fran told him. "They're not supposed to interfere in anything."

"What interfering? This could help them get their restaurant back, if we can figure out who's pranked who for what."

"Adam," Merrick said abruptly. "Max once told me about...itching powder?"

"Yeah, it's a powder you can put on things, and it makes anyone who touches it itchy. Not harmful, but really irritating. Why?"

Fran, quicker on the uptake, emptied a bowl of nuts and filled it from the water pitcher. "Go wash it - properly - lots of soap," she told him, passing the bowl over and gesturing him to put his hand in to soak.

"Will that make it stop?"

"Yes," she said firmly, elbowing Cam when he went to speak. "Just watch out for Mack; he's got some more of that confetti glitter stuff and he keeps throwing it at people when he thinks they're not looking."

"Whose side is he on?" Jayden asked, holding the bowl while Merrick stood.

"When did Merrick get hit with itching powder?" Adam asked.

"On the airplane," Fran told him.

"He was flying somewhere?"

"No, the...show me the timeline?"

"Maybe we should ask Dom?" Jayden suggested. "Would he really just randomly prank Zhane for no reason? Surely he had a reason?"

"You haven't met Dom properly, have you," Fran said with a sigh. "I think Mack's on Zhane's side, except he has terrible aim and he's just getting everyone, but the rest of his team's on Dom's, because Dom has Mystic Force and Dino Thunder, and Overdrive's following the Retro Rangers."

"But Tommy Oliver's on Zhane's side."

"Only accidentally. One of Chip's spells went a bit awry," Adam explained. Leaning back, he looked past Jayden to a booth near the back. "There; see?"

Jayden turned to look, studied Tommy very calmly for a minute, and then turned back. "Why isn't he here with us? Doesn't he remember?"

"He's too young. Besides, I laughed at him."

"Adam!" Fran protested. "It's not funny."

"Fran," Adam said patiently, "that's Tommy Oliver, Red Zeo Ranger. He's magically and completely bald. What part of that is not funny?"

"All the parts!"

Adam shook his head, looking back at his charts. "As soon as he steps outside the spell'll wear off and he'll be fine. What about your team, Jayden?"

"They haven't been in. Not with me, anyway. Well, apart from Antonio, and he's just aiming at anyone who moves...What about yours?"

"Retros went with Dom, and my older team's on Zhane's side. That's partly why I'm sitting out."

"And no one's tried to make you pick a side?"

Adam grinned at him. "Everyone likes me." Reaching for his glass, he rolled his eyes and leaned out of the booth. "Xander! Quit messing with my glass!"

Fran frowned; Adam caught her eye, lifting his glass. As soon as it left the table the contents vanished. "I thought Xander was on your team," she protested.

"Not yet, he isn't. He's only been in once since his team lost power, and that was with me. Xander!"

"I'm on it!" someone called from another table.

Adam cautiously lifted his glass, nodding thankfully when the fluid level stayed constant. "Cheers, Ryan!"

"Ryan," Jayden repeated.

"Lightspeed Rescue's Sixth."

"He's on...your side?"

"Lightspeed's mostly been left alone, because Carter, their Red, is physically incapable of being mean to anyone. Their Yellow keeps jumping in randomly, though. She really likes that glitter."

"Ronny did dump that pitcher of lemon on Joel," Cam reminded him.

"Yeah, but that's Joel. Stuff like that happens to him all the time. It didn't have anything to do with this."

Someone howled with laughter, and Merrick slid back into the booth, frowning. "I thought Lightspeed were neutral."

"They are. Why?" Adam asked.

"Ryan's just hurried into the bathroom covered in slime."

Adam groaned, dropping his head into his arms.

"Ryan helped Adam when Xander tried to pull something on him," Fran explained.

"Now Lightspeed's going to have to come in on Zhane's side...you know what, I give up." Adam leaned out of the booth again. "Zhane!"

"What?" Zhane called back cheerfully.

"I need some of those magic drinks of yours!"

Zhane wandered up, dropping into the last spare seat at the booth. "Giving up?"

"You are insane," Adam informed him very seriously. "Get me drunk."

"Your wish, my command."

Someone else yelled across the room, and Adam winced. "And make Xander stop throwing those balloons!"

Zhane grinned, heading for the bar, and Fran explained to Jayden and Merrick, "Zhane grew up on another planet, and they have drinks there that get you drunk, but there's no hangover the next day. So anytime he's here, Ranger's Rest has them."

"Bridge's team have something similar," Adam added, "but they haven't been in recently."

"Good," Fran said fervently. "Jack and Z in a prank war?"

"It's Syd you have to look out for. Innocent looking blondes."

Zhane reappeared with a tray of drinks. "You're underage," he told Jayden, "and apparently that's important on Earth, so you can't have any."

"How do you know I'm underage?"

"I'm smart that way. Here." He pushed a glass of something red across to him.

"You got me drunk when I was underage," Adam pointed out.

"Well, you needed it. He's just hiding out because Max is on the loose with a vuvuzela."

"Where did he even _get_ a vuvuzela?" Adam asked, exasperated.

"Ours is not to reason why," Zhane said lightly.

"How come you can quote Shakespeare, and Andros still doesn't know what a surf board is?" Adam demanded.

"That's Andros for you."

"That's Alfred Lord Tennyson," Fran added.

Adam stared at her. "I'm drunk."

"You've only had two sips!"

"I don't drink much, I don't have any tolerance."

"What is this?" Jayden asked, examining his drink.

Fran glanced at it. "Shirley Temple."

"Who?"

"It's the name of the drink."

"Why does it have an umbrella?"

"It's supposed to be cute."

Jayden took the umbrella out of the drink, looking at it helplessly; Zhane plucked it out of his hand, tucking it behind Jayden's ear before he could react. "Leave it," he ordered. "It suits you."

"Zhane, you already have half the Ranger pantheon mad at you," Fran warned him. "Do you really want to bring in the active team against you?"

"They're not active where I am."

"I like this," Adam announced, waving his glass at them.

"He really has no tolerance," Merrick noted. "Fran, I should be going. Can you..."

"I'll manage," she said with a sigh. "Cam's not drinking, anyway, are you?"

"I'm only sitting here because my booth's still flooded."

She made a face at him, nodding at Merrick. "Go on. We'll see you later. Or - sometime."

Merrick nodded, slipping out of the booth and glancing around warily before heading for the door. Most of the Rangers had been avoiding pranking him - Merrick was inventive and intimidating, even to other Rangers - but there were still slip ups.

He made it safely out and Fran turned back to the table, where Zhane was urging Jayden to try his drink. "It's sticky," Jayden protested. "And really sweet."

"Yes, but it's _non alcoholic_."

"We should not tell you things," Adam said solemnly.

Something exploded; a chorus of coughs started up as the smoke drifted out into the room. Fran leaned out to look, wincing.

"What is it?" Adam asked with a sigh.

"Um. The pool balls exploded, and it looks like there was paint in them, and now the Ninjas, Cam's ninjas, are a very fetching shade of magenta."

"Gem and Gemma," Cam said without looking up.

"You think?"

"Things explode, I generally look at them first. How many of my team?"

"The Winds."

Cam considered for a minute. "Bad, but not as bad as it could have been."

"The Thunders would be worse?"

"Hunter? Definitely worse. But Dustin's pretty bad, and Tori's got a mean streak, and she'll probably drag in the Thunders anyway."

"That'll be why Hunter was in here swearing revenge a couple of days ago," Adam mused. "I wondered when he'd got caught up."

"Was he doing anything?" Jayden had given up keeping up with the names and was sipping his drink, listening.

"Glaring at people. Hunter's got a good glare. And he got all the sugar bowls on his table and refused to let anyone have any."

"I'm glad I'm not on his bad side," Zhane agreed solemnly. "He sounds really evil."

"You might be on his bad side now. Which side are Gem and Gemma on? They're with you, right?"

"They're not on a side, they just like blowing things up."

"A lot of people aren't on a side, they're just joining in," Jayden noted.

"I've changed my mind," Zhane announced. "You'll be lots more fun if we get you drunk."

Fran glanced around for Antonio. He was busy in a fairly pointless attempt to spray Shane with his silly string; the Wind Ninja has a cocoon of wind around him, something Vida was enthusiastically copying, and the string kept going awry. "Antonio!"

"I didn't do it!" he called cheerfully.

"Come rescue Jayden!"

He grinned, spraying Max in passing and getting a blast from the vuvuzela in retaliation. "What am I saving him from?" he asked, leaning against the table.

"Zhane wants to get him drunk."

"Zhane has my full support."

"Hey," Jayden protested, snatching the silly string from him.

"We come here for you to relax -"

"And so that you don't drive Kevin mad by doing that in the House -"

" -and you're just huddled up in this booth with maps and charts. Honestly. Come play pool."

"Thanks, but I like being this colour, and I'm not sure that paint will vanish when they leave."

"It's real paint, so my guess is no," Adam offered.

"See?" Jayden said pointedly.

"You'd look good in purple."

"Magenta, and no thanks."

He grinned, glancing at Zhane. "Full support. Need me to hold him down?"

"Nah, I can manage. I've been getting Andros sneakily drunk for years. Telekinesis is really very handy. How's your drink, Jayden?"

Jayden glanced down at it and then across at Fran, who shook her head firmly."I didn't see anything, I didn't do anything, I don't know anything."

"You know," Adam said thoughtfully, "it's hard to believe we have this many syper - spiker - mentally immature people as Rangers. Why don't we screen them better?"

"Why don't we screen them at all?" Cam agreed.

"They're teenagers," Fran pointed out. "And half of them are coming from active time periods. Maybe this is what they need."

"You have a lot of faith in Ranger's Rest."

"I have a lot of faith in Rangers. All Rangers."

Dustin appeared, holding what looked terrifyingly like a pair of trousers. "Hey, if that Chad guy asks, I'm not here, right? Send him off to Tori, he's Water, he'll like that." He vanished towards the bathrooms before anyone could comment.

"Want to repeat that?" Cam asked Fran.

"Do you remember this?"

"Maybe. They did a lot of weird things. They aren't active now, though. I mean their now."

"They're not far off it, though," Adam told him.

"Move in."

Startled, Fran obeyed, and Eric sat beside her. "Hand it over," he added to Zhane, who slid a glass across to him.

"Eric," Adam said, semi-politely. "What's up?"

"This is the only safe place there is. Did you know it's raining on the pool table?"

"Tori," Cam told him.

"I thought it was Madison," Zhane said blankly.

"Madison's too even tempered to do that."

"She's got Chip egging her on."

"Eric!" Adam said suddenly. Jayden jumped, splashing his drink all over Fran's arm. "You screen people for the Silver Guardians, right?"

"Yes," Eric said warily. "Mostly I glare at 'em and Wes talks."

"We wanna start screening the Rangers."

"We do?"

"Then maybe this won't happen anymore again." He gestured around the room.

Eric followed his gaze, eyes narrowing. "I need another drink," he decided.

Fran got the next round on her way back from cleaning herself up. Mack got her with the glitter, but she was unharassed apart from that; like Adam, she had a 'hands off' warning that pretty much everyone respected.

"Right," Adam announced when she sat back down, brandishing a much-scribbled on sheet of paper at her. "Do you now have, or have you ever had, a sibling who has died, vanished or gone missing under mysterious circumstances?"

"What?"

"He's testing his Ranger Screening form on you," Eric explained.

"But I'm not a Ranger!"

"There's not much point testing it on someone who is a Ranger," Adam pointed out reasonably. "Zhane, stop pulling."

"Your questions aren't fair. What if I don't know I had a sibling? What if they vanished under completely unmysterious circumstances? What if they died horribly and you've just dragged up the trauma of the whole thing?"

"A sibling you didn't know about? Who do you think you are, Counselor Troi? Never _mind_," he added when Zhane and Jayden both started to question him.

"I didn't know about Lauren," Antonio offered.

"That was the point," Jayden told him. "You weren't supposed to know."

"_Fran_," Adam said desperately.

"No siblings," she said automatically.

"Are you sure?"

"Zhane, shut up. Fran, next question."

"I think I object to the concept of screening," Eric announced.

"You wouldn't have made it past," Cam agreed.

"Neither would anyone else. You're a sarcastic ass, everyone on my team was running from or to something..."

"You called them your team," Adam said cheerfully.

"The Reds are pretty much all suicidally idiotic..."

"Hey," Jayden objected.

"What? I was on the Moon mission, junior."

"Zhane," Adam said loudly, "we need a drink for Eric that doesn't make him angry and mean."

"No, that's just what he's like," Cam said.

"Cam!"

"What's the next question, Adam?" Fran said quickly.

"Hmm? Oh. Uh, please list all insecurities that your enemies may try to use to control and or subvert you."

"That's just stupid," Zhane said before she could answer. "What if my enemies get hold of this form? Then they'd know exactly what to use against me!"

Adam stared at him for a long moment before deliberately scoring through a line on the form; his pen went through the sheet and he had to wrestle it back under control. "Right. What does..."

Rocky skidded past the booth, arms windmilling, and Adam groaned. "What's going on now?"

"Um." Antonio twisted to look. "There's water on the floor?"

"Tori, can you get that?" Adam yelled.

"Nope!"

"Rocky's on your side!"

"Is he?" Antonio murmured.

"Possibly?"

"Nope!" Tori repeated cheerfully.

Rocky attempted to stand up, but a very localised earth tremor knocked him back over. Adam sighed, hauling himself out of the booth and crossing to help him up. "What did you do?"

Rocky blinked at him. "I may have mentioned something about us being ninjas well before they were, and that they should leave it to the professionals?"

Adam immediately stepped back from him, making a show of wiping off his hands. "All yours!" he called in the general direction of the Winds. A wind immediately kicked up, driving Rocky back into a corner and pinning him there. "But don't break anything," Adam added, and the wind eased off slightly to a disappointed groan from Dustin.

"They would definitely not have passed a Ranger screening program," Eric was saying when Adam settled back into the booth. Antonio had taken advantage of his absence to sit next to Jayden, testing his drink for him, and the booth was crowded now.

"We were a bit short of candidates," Cam told Eric. Adam caught Eric's eye, leaning forward to clink glasses with him.

"Here's to getting through by default!" he said cheerfully.

"De fault! The two sweetest words in the English language!" Antonio agreed.

"Default's one word," Jayden told him.

"It's a quote, not...never mind. Do you know this has alcohol in it?"

"Yes. So do you. Zhane's trying to get me drunk and you like that plan, remember? Full support?"

"Oh. Yeah." He took another drink. "It's not very much alcohol."

"Enough to get you drunk."

"I'm not drunk, I'm just happy."

"That's what Adam always says, and then he ends up crying on the nearest person," Cam told them. Jayden carefully slid the glass away from Antonio.

"I don't think I've ever said I was happy," Adam said thoughtfully. Scrabbling through the mess on the table, he came up with the remains of the screening form. "Question - whatever number we're on. What role do you see yourself filling on a team?"

He leaned across the table to wave a hand in Fran's face, and she jumped. "What? One that isn't actually on the team. A support role."

Ryan, still vaguely damp, paused by the table. "Have you seen that ninja kid who ran off with Chad's trousers?"

"How'd he even get those off?" Adam asked curiously.

"Sorry. I'm sworn to secrecy. If I tell, Carter will look really disappointed."

Adam waved in the general direction of the bar and Ryan headed off that way.

"He's not there anymore, you know," Jayden said.

"How come you're sober and Antonio's drunk?" Adam asked curiously.

"I guess he drank more than me?"

"Or you're so uptight you _can't_ get drunk," Zhane suggested. "Let's play Never Have I Ever!"

"The things you've learned about Earth worry me sometimes," Cam muttered.

"What's Never Have I Ever?" Jayden asked.

"It's a game. If you've done the thing, you take a drink," Antonio explained.

"What thing?"

"The thing the person says."

"All those in favor of not letting the drunk person explain the drinking game?" Eric asked.

"I'm not drunk!"

"You keep saying that, but I bet you can't sit up straight."

"I'm not as think as you drunk I am!" Zhane announced proudly.

"You've just been waiting for a chance to say that, haven't you?" Cam asked.

"If you're not as think as we drunk you are, you'd better have some more," Eric told him. "There's probably still some blood in your alcohol system, after all."

"And the drunker you are, the less likely that anyone can hold you responsible for anything," Antonio added, attempting to tap his nose knowingly and poking himself in the ear.

"You're putting that on," Jayden accused him. Antonio grinned, leaning around him to swipe the drink back and finish it.

Zhane glanced around the table, checking everyone's glasses. "Right. Never have I ever..."

"Kissed my arch nemesis?" Cam suggested.

Adam made a face. "Hey, she kissed me."

"That's not fair!" Zhane added. "You're _related_ to all your nemesiseses!"

"And Jayden's nemesises weren't human," Eric agreed. "Who votes for Cam to not get anymore questions?" Four hands went up and he nodded without bothering to see who was voting. "Good. Zhane, go."

"Never have I ever been turned into an inanimate object."

Jayden made a face, drinking, and turned to glare at Antonio. "You too."

"I was animate."

"You were not!"

"I was a fish! S'not my fault I was a dead fish. Fish are animate."

"Not the dead ones!"

"I feel like we should hear this story," Adam said.

"At least I didn't end up with the tutu," Jayden muttered. "We can't be the only team, surely?"

"Well, TJ's not here to tell the giant pizza story - although I'm not sure that counts. And Xander didn't quite get turned into a tree, so."

"Jayden was a gnome," Antonio told Fran, miming holding up a lantern.

Jayden scowled at him. "Do you really want to tell that story?"

"Hey, who's turn is it? C'mon, we're getting the hang of this now!"

Adam grinned suddenly. "Never have I ever dressed up as my own worst enemy just to get a rise out of my Red."

Zhane took the drink cheerfully. "Worth it for the look on his face. Never have I ever attempted to reverse engineer my own powers for profit."

Eric didn't move, and Zhane glared at him. "What?" Eric said, as close to innocent as he could manage. "It wasn't for profit and I didn't do anything anyway. Never have I ever been affected by a spell."

"That's just not fair, your villain didn't use magic!" Zhane took the drink anyway; so did everyone else. "Huh. Some things are universal, I guess. Never have I ever...uh."

"Been normal?" Antonio suggested.

"Normal is very overrated, my Gold friend," Zhane told him solemnly.

"Yeah, why would you want to be normal when you could hang out in a magic space and time bar getting drunk and covered in glitter?" Cam agreed.

"I'm not covered in glitter." Antonio blinked. "Or drunk."

A cloud of glitter descended on the table, covering everyone and getting everywhere. No one moved for a minute; then Adam carefully wiped his eyes clear. "Whose round is it?"


	13. Almost Everyone pt 2

"Never have I ever," Zhane said thoughtfully, "been sucked into a storybook world."

"You're doing that on purpose," Adam accused him, taking a drink.

"I'm just going through the list," Zhane assured him innocently. Well, sort of innocently. "Never have I ever been bodyswapped with another person."

Jayden stared at his drink. "The Power prevents alcohol poisoning, right? Can we set a limit?"

"Where's your sense of adventure, Jay?" Antonio asked, carefully fishing a piece of glitter out of his glass and wedging it into Jayden's hair.

"Not in my liver. Stop doing that."

"Define person," Zhane said.

"It's your question," Cam pointed out.

"And the Power is translating for you," Adam added.

"I know, I just want to make sure we're all on the same page. I mean, I dressed up as Psychos. Does that count as bodyswapping?"

"You are a Psycho," Eric muttered.

"No, it doesn't count," Adam said briskly. "Never have I ever done something stupid with a morpher without telling anyone."

Cam and Zhane both objected; Cam glared him into silence and leaned forward across the table. "The first time you got drunk in here you'd nearly killed yourself using a broken morpher!"

"Yeah, but I would have told someone if they'd been there. And Alpha knew. It's not my fault there wasn't anyone around."

"Choosing the most isolated part of the park couldn't have had anything to do with that," Eric agreed easily.

"What do you know about it? You were still in school!" Adam hesitated, counted it up on his fingers, and nodded. "You were still in school. And you," he added, glaring at Jayden, "were probably under two, so nothing from you, please."

"Never have I ever," Zhane said loudly, "run away from my team in an effort to protect them."

"Yes you have, you went off for that lightning storm on your own without telling them."

Antonio glared at Jayden until he took a drink. "Take two," he said firmly, "you did it twice."

"I didn't get very far the second time, people kept coming after me."

Someone yelled from near the pool table and Fran leaned around Jayden to look.

"What is it?" Adam asked, trying to pick another bit of glitter out of his hair.

"It's kind of hard to tell, but it looks like maybe Trent is using his invisibility -"

"Camoflauge -"

" - to trip people up, and Jason was carrying a tray of drinks. So now everyone's soaked. Including Trent."

"Serves him right," Zhane said righteously.

Fran made a face at him. "You don't think this whole thing has got out of hand?"

Across the room, Shane was gallantly offering to blow dry the soaked Rangers. The Rangers were refusing as politely as possible. The Winds had been cutting a swath through the Ranger's Rest, attacking everyone indiscriminately; no one had managed to get them back. The three of them working together were practically unbeatable. Even Cam hadn't tried to get back at them for the glitter.

"This is fun," Zhane told Fran. "Come on, it is. Admit it."

"Don't admit anything, that's how they get you," Antonio told her. Fran smiled a little helplessly.

"It might hurt less if you got drunk," Eric advised her.

"I can't get drunk in here, it doesn't work."

"Well, that's disappointing."

"Never Have I Ever been trapped in another dimension," Zhane said thoughtfully.

"You already did the storybook one, and you were too in another dimension," Adam told him.

"Yeah, but I wasn't trapped there, I just went in to save the others. Anyway that might have been another planet. I forget."

"No more drink for you," Adam said, but he didn't make any attempt to enforce it.

"Hey, can I play?" Xander asked, leaning over the edge of the booth.

Cam glanced up at him. "No. Go away."

"Aw, come on, boss," Xander protested, looking at Adam.

Adam squinted at him for a moment before relaxing. "You're my team. When did that happen?"

"Um. When we were on that team together? Come on, let me play."

"Never have I ever been turned into a tree," Cam said.

"I wasn't turned all the way into a tree! Anyway, Never have I ever been turned into a fly."

"I already drank for turned into something else, you can't get me on that one again."

"Bet I could if I tried," he muttered, dragging a chair over. "Why are you all covered in glitter and why is that guy wearing an umbrella?"

Jayden snatched the umbrella out of his hair and Antonio groaned. "Do you know how long I've been waiting for him to relax so I can get a picture of that?" he demanded. "Mike will never forgive me. Never have I ever been the only one on the team with an accent."

"Um. Antonio?" Adam said.

"Speaking random Spanish doesn't count, I don't have an accent! Never have I ever been the tallest one on the team. Never have I ever been a green Ranger. Never have I ever had a wood or forest or tree element."

"Enough turns from Antonio!" Eric announced loudly. "Never have I ever had to talk my Red out of a stupid plan."

"Mostly because you never talked to your Red," Cam muttered, taking a drink.

"Plus your Red wasn't the team leader anyway,' Adam agreed, drinking. Antonio had already downed his, and Xander had finished his and was looking around for another.

"No drink, Fran?" Antonio asked.

"I never really talk to Casey about Ranger stuff. That's RJ, or sometimes Dom."

"Shame, I bet you'd be good at it."

"He's pretty good all on his own. Better than he thinks he is."

Xander rolled his eyes. "Never have I ever had the inspiring 'believe in yourself' talk."

"Liar," Adam said placidly. "I've met Udonna. She's all about the inspiring, believe in yourself talks."

"I think every Ranger ever has had that talk," Cam agreed. "Except Eric, cos that wasn't his problem."

"Hey, I can't help it if I don't have a problem with self belief," Eric said.

"Now, ego, that's another thing altogether," Cam continued.

"Never have I ever had a plan go wrong that would've worked if I'd listened to the people who actually knew something," someone offered from beyond Xander.

"I agree," Cam said immediately.

"Always listen to your tech," the same voice said solemnly.

"Ethan, Hayley isn't here!" Adam called in that general direction.

"Doesn't matter, she's still gonna know!"

"Tell Trent to stop tripping people up and come play."

"Never have I ever, knowingly or unknowingly, hung out with or dated someone on the other side of the fight," Jayden said, clearly thinking carefully about the phrasing.

"If she wasn't exactly evil..." Xander started.

"Still counts."

"You kept running off to fight Deker," Antonio reminded Jayden.

"That wasn't hanging out, and he wasn't on the other side; he wasn't on any side at all."

"What about when the people on the other side pretended to be on my side so they could get close to us and steal things?" Ziggy dragged up another chair, blinking anxiously at them.

"That's the unknowingly bit. You still have to drink."

"She was really convincing."

"Still have to drink."

"How do that many chairs fit at this booth?" Antonio asked Fran.

"Magic," she told him solemnly.

"Huh."

"Never have I ever let civilians find out who I am," Antonio offered. Glancing at Jayden, he added, "Terry doesn't count, he knew already."

"And he's not a civilian, really," Jayden agreed.

"We had a really good reason?" Zhane tried.

"And we were never hiding," Ziggy added, "So I don't think I should have to drink right now."

"We didn't deliberately let them find out," Xander said."We just needed them to help us defeat the Master."

"Surprising how often that happens," Zhane agreed.

"Some of us manage to defeat our villains on our own," Jayden told them.

"Some of us have plans other than 'brute force'," Antonio muttered.

"It worked, didn't it?"

"That's actually a pretty typical Red plan," Adam said. A chorus of protests rose from the room and he looked up, trying to see past Xander and Ziggy. "Is everyone listening?"

"No!" someone called, immediately adding "Ow!"

"Way to go, Conner." Kira - a Kira far too young to be on Adam's team; Xander blinked but seemed to accept it - dropped into the booth, forcing Adam in further. "Alcohol," she demanded.

"You are definitely underage," Adam said, intercepting the drink Zhane was trying to give her.

"So is he!" She waved at Jayden. "And you don't want to know what's going on outside this booth."

"No, I really don't," Adam agreed. "Otherwise I might have to do something about it."

"Never have I ever been the only person of my gender on my team," Xander announced proudly.

Kira glared at him. "Not funny."

"Adam?" Fran murmured. "How come they remember?"

"They don't. They just know they're safe here." Raising his voice, he added, "Never have I ever been on a team where the Rangers were more than five years older or younger than each other."

"You're doing that on purpose," Kira protested, and then blinked when Jayden and Antonio drank.

"Never have I ever been on a team of less than five people," Adam offered.

"Oh, come on!"

"Fran?"

Dom was leaning over the edge of the booth; he glanced incuriously at the others, frowning at the glitter. "Having fun?"

"Oh, sure. What are you doing here?"

"Had some time off, figured I'd come get something to eat. What happened here? It looks like the day after prom."

Zhane leaned over to whisper to Xander, eyes bright.

"Oh, you know." Fran shrugged. "Sometimes people can't pick a side."

"So I see." He tugged gently at a piece of glitter, teasing it out of her hair. "I'm going to order, anyone want anything?"

"Never have I ever dated a non ranger," Eric said loudly.

"You've never dated anyone," Cam muttered.

"Pot, kettle," Xander said brightly, looking away from Zhane.

Dom frowned for a moment before shrugging it off. "Nothing for anyone?"

"Nothing with alcohol," Fran told him.

"No alcohol, check. Back in a minute."

He turned to head for the bar. Zhane half rose out of his seat, leaned back, and lobbed a water balloon in a perfect arc. It burst against the back of Dom's head, soaking him in whatever ooze Xander had magicked up.

Dom froze for a minute before turning back, dripping ooze. Zhane was laughing helplessly, and Dom smiled at him. "This means war, you know."

"Bring it on," Zhane answered.

Fran scrambled out of the booth with a handful of napkins, attempting to wipe the worst of the ooze off. Adam laughed suddenly, dropping his head into his hands. Fran glanced back at him in concern. "Adam?"

"He just started it," Adam said, waving weakly in Zhane's direction. "Dom did the drink thing to get back for this. Zhane just started the whole thing in revenge for the whole thing..."

"Dom's drink thing was prevenge?" Cam asked, smiling.

"Why would Ranger's Rest do that?" Jayden protested.

"Because they're teenagers," Adam said, lifting his head. "And Rangers. And sometimes they need to really let go. Not just sit in silence; really let go, no worries, no holding back."

Cam combed a handful of glitter from his hair. "They've done that."

"It gives you what you need," Jayden murmured.

"You're crazy," Antonio told him cheerfully.

"No, you're drunk. Don't worry about it."

"Yes, boss," he agreed, scanning the table for any left over drinks.

"No more drinks."

"Yes, boss."

"Stop calling me boss."

"Yes, boss."

"Yeah, get your own thing," Xander agreed.

Antonio affected a bad Spanish accent. "Maybe I'll try an accent, no?"

"No," Jayden, Xander and Cam said at the same time. Antonio pouted, slouching down in his seat.

"Don't do that. It's time we were going." Jayden shifted to stand, tugging Antonio with him.

"Are you all right to get home?" Fran asked.

"Yes. Thank you."

She glanced at Antonio. "And him?"

"There's no hangover, right? I just have to get him into bed without anyone seeing. Assuming it's night time."

"We'll be very quiet," Antonio assured her. "Like little - mouses. Shush."

"Good luck," she told Jayden, turning back to Dom.

Adam sat up as Dustin came by. "Cam, we're heading out, are you coming?"

"Run out of people to terrorize?" Cam asked dryly. "No, I need to finish up. Please wash that off before you go into Ninja Ops, I don't need paint getting everywhere."

"Dude, it's totally dry," Dustin protested.

"We'll make sure," Tori promised, corralling Dustin and forcing him out the door.

"See you later," Shane agreed, following them.

Kira looked up, distracted. "Ethan! Where's Conner?"

"Leaving!" Ethan called back cheerfully. Kira sighed, scrambling to her feet and going to look for Trent.

"If only Zhane had gotten his prevenge earlier," Eric said, straightfaced.

"Why?" Adam asked.

"Because this place hasn't been this empty in days."

"Zhane got revenge, Dom got prevenge," Ziggy corrected him. Eric glared, and he flinched away. "Well, that's what he said."

"Hey, look, plenty of other empty tables," Eric said pointedly, and then glared until Ziggy switched seats.

Adam looked around. "Huh. It kind of does look like the day after prom."

Cam followed his gaze. Most of the other teams had trickled out - all but Lightspeed, still fruitlessly searching for Chad's trousers - and the remains of the prankwar were clear all over the bar. Every surface was covered in glitter, Max's vuvuzela was abandoned on the paint-streaked pool table, silly string decorated anything that hadn't been able to move away, and pools of water were dotted randomly around.

"Your prom must have been different than mine."

"Secret ninja academies have proms?"


	14. Jayden, Merrick, Cole, Lauren

"Jayden, what is this place?"

He smiled at his sister – his sister! "Somewhere special. Somewhere I want to share with you. C'mon."

She let him draw her through the door. It was brighter inside and he blinked, glancing around quickly.

Adam was there, and the sarcastic Samurai was in the far booth. A handful of others Jayden knew to see were scattered around the room, and Merrick was practising trick shots on the pool table. Jayden touched Lauren's arm, heading towards him.

"Where are we, Jayden?" Lauren asked softly.

"We're in the Ranger's Rest. Merrick!" He looked up and Jayden grinned. "Come and meet my sister."

Merrick studied her for a moment before glancing at Jayden. "She'll remember."

"Good. I hoped she would."

"What's the date?"

Jayden told him, adding, "We're done. Happy ending."

Merrick nodded, finally coming around the table. "I was in Panorama City those last couple of days. It was very impressive, both of you."

"What do you mean, you _were_ in Panorama City?" Lauren protested. "You're still in Panorama City."

"I'm in Spain, as it happens," Merrick said mildly.

"Europe?" Jayden smiled. "Sounds nice."

"Of course, I'm also in twenty fourteen."

"Really?"

"Don't I look older?"

Jayden laughed. "I'm not touching that one."

"Jayden," Lauren protested.

"Sorry, Lauren." He gestured her to the nearest table, sitting next to her. Merrick followed, settling across from her. "Ranger's Rest isn't really anywhere. Or, no, it's everywhere, all at once. It's for Rangers only, we're the only ones who see it. And it gives us what we need. If you need to sit alone it'll be quiet and no one will come near you. If you need loud and distracting, you'll get it. It brings Rangers together from all across Earth, anyone who's served. And they get what they need. And mostly, they forget afterwards."

"Time paradox," she murmured. "Did you find what you needed?"

"Every time." Smiling, he turned slightly. "Lauren Shiba, Merrick."

"Baliton."

"Merrick Baliton, my sister Lauren. Merrick served in Turtle Cove ten years ago."

"Twelve," Merrick corrected him. "It's nice to meet you, Lauren."

"Nice to meet you. You're really from twenty fourteen?"

"How'd you get Zen Aku to Spain?" Jayden asked. Catching Lauren's look, he added a belated, "Sorry."

Merrick smiled faintly. "Yes, I'm from twenty fourteen. Zen Aku isn't in Spain; he's in..." He had to think about it. "Brazil, or maybe Argentina. Somewhere down there. We'll find each other later."

The waitress plopped a basket of fries onto the table, and Jayden thanked her before turning to Lauren. "Best fries anywhere. If Antonio ever remembered this place, he'd tell you."

"How is Antonio?" Merrick asked.

"He's good. Trying to decide what he's going to do now that we're finished."

"And what are you going to do?"

Lauren smiled briefly. "We're not sure yet. We worked so hard for so long and now..." She shrugged. "We're going to take a little time to get to know each other."

"Hear, hear," Jayden murmured.

"These are really good," Lauren announced.

"Everyone always loves the fries," Merrick agreed.

"Need something to drink, though."

"I'll go!" Jayden bounced out of his seat. He was barely four steps away when they started talking about him, and he rolled his eyes. He was happy! They'd beaten Master Xandred! Since when was happy a crime?

At least they stopped talking when he came back with the drinks, though they looked at each other significantly. Had he and Mentor been this obvious?

"I'm fine," he told them both. "Honestly."

"You're very..." Lauren floundered.

"Up," Merrick offered. "It's not like you."

"A huge weight is gone from my shoulders. Don't tell me you don't feel it too," he told Lauren.

"I feel it. I just...think I'm not expressing it as much as you are."

"I'm taking today to have fun," Jayden said firmly. "Tomorrow I'll be serious again."

"No, don't." Lauren touched his cheek. "Smiling suits you."

"As my clan head commands."

She rolled her eyes. "As if you've ever listened to anything I told you. Remind me, which of us was the one putting frogspawn in Ji's closet, and which of us was the one telling the first one _not_ to put frogspawn in Ji's closet?"

"I was four years old!"

"And ignoring your clan head," she said primly.

"You weren't clan head then."

"Future clan head."

"Who cares about the future when you're four?"

"You were together then?" Merrick asked.

"We weren't separated until the year after that."

"Keep smiling," Lauren reminded him.

"I thought Kevin was going to collapse when he saw me," Jayden said wryly.

"Kevin's very dramatic when he wants to be."

Jayden glanced up, attention caught by the door opening.

He was on his feet before he knew it, staring. Lauren was frozen halfway to her feet, watching him. Merrick hadn't moved, still sprawled in his seat. "Jayden?"

"He can't be here," Jayden breathed. "He's not a Ranger. How does..."

"Who is it?" Lauren asked, slowly standing the rest of the way.

"Deker."

"He's dead," she said involuntarily.

"I know," Jayden agreed.

Merrick turned, finally, scanning the bar. "Jayden, sit."

"Merrick..."

"Sit," he said more firmly. Lauren touched his arm, urging him to sit.

"Tell me about Deker," Merrick said.

"He's right there...!"

"Tell me. Not a Ranger? You said he wanted to duel you?"

"He's a Nighlok," Lauren offered.

"Half Nighlok." Jayden was tense, perched on the edge of his seat. "His wife bargained for his life and lost; he was cursed. Driven to find the ultimate duel, and he decided I was the one to give it to him."

"Did you?"

"Twice, and defeated him both times, and the second time he burned. Why is he _here_?"

Merrick shook his head. "The man at the bar is Cole. My Red Ranger. Look at him and you'll know. Lion and empath, remember? You've seen him before."

"It's Deker," Jayden insisted, but even as he said it he wasn't sure. The man at the bar looked like Deker, but he didn't move like him and he was laughing good naturedly with the barman.

Concentrating, he studied him carefully, sighing after a moment. "Lion and empath. He's your Red?"

"You've seen him before."

"I didn't see his face." Jayden relaxed, leaning back against his seat. Lauren was watching him.

"Do you want to talk to him?" Merrick asked. "I can call him over."

"No, you can't," Adam said from behind them. Lauren jumped, but neither Jayden nor Merrick reacted. "He's too young. Doesn't know you yet. He's barely a Ranger; I think he's within a week or so of being called."

Jayden stood. "I'll talk to him."

"Are you sure?" Lauren asked.

"It gives you what you need." Glancing at Merrick, he added, "You trust him?"

"With my life. But he doesn't know me, Jayden. I can't _help_ you."

"I'll manage. Keep Lauren company."

"Maybe you can explain a couple of things," Lauren agreed.

"Can't," Merrick said apologetically. "We don't talk about the Ranger's Rest. It doesn't like it."

"Jayden did."

"Yeah. That seems to be his duty."

"I'll tell you later," Jayden promised. "Just – one of you keep her company."

"I will," Adam offered.

"Adam Lauren Lauren Adam Jayden _go_," Merrick said.

He did, heading up to the bar and stopped a few paces from Cole. "Excuse me?" Cole turned, curious, and Jayden felt himself relax. This close, there really wasn't much similarity. "Forgive me. I thought you were someone I know."

"I don't think so. I'm new in town, I haven't met many people yet. Cole Evans."

"Jayden. Shiba." He shook the offered hand, smiling; Cole was clearly no stranger to hard work, but the calluses were all wrong for sword play. "I'm sorry to have interrupted you. Can I get you another drink to make up?"

Cole studied him for a moment before grinning. "I accept, if you'll have one too." Jayden glanced over his shoulder and Cole added, "unless your friends are waiting for you."

"No. I think my sister's enjoying talking to Adam. She doesn't get to meet many people." He glanced back again and Lauren looked up, smiling when she caught his eye.

Turning back to Cole, he sat, glancing around for the barman. "Green tea, please. And whatever he's having."

"That sounds good. I'll try that."

"So, new in town?" Jayden asked.

"Yeah. I just got here a couple of days ago. What about you?"

"I've lived in the same place all my life." The tea arrived and he warned Cole, "This is bitter, especially if you're not used to it. Sip, don't gulp."

"Your cup is different," Cole noted.

"It's Japanese." Jayden turned the cup automatically, taking a sip.

"You're not Japanese," he said hesitantly.

"No. My family was, and we keep the traditions."

"Tradition's important," Cole agreed, taking a cautious sip.

"Are you very far from home?" Jayden murmured.

Cole looked at him sharply before relaxing. "I have a place to belong, here. People to belong with. But yes. Home is a long way away." Jayden lifted his cup in a silent toast and Cole echoed him, frowning briefly. "Can I try it in one of those cups?"

Jayden laughed, signalling the barman, and showed him how to hold it when he got it. "Still sip," he said warningly, and Cole nodded quickly.

"So tell me about this friend of yours I look like."

"Not a friend," he said involuntarily.

"Oh?"

Jayden studied his teacup for a moment. "He was – obsessed," he said finally. "He wanted – something he thought I could give him. He threatened people to get it from me."

Cole nodded. "Not a friend."

"No. But he's not an issue anymore. I knew you weren't him; but you look a bit like him."

"Did you have it?"

"Sorry?"

"What he wanted. Did you have it?"

"It didn't really matter; he thought I did, so he chased me, he chased my friends, and he threatened innocent people."

"Until you stopped him."

_Empath_, Jayden remembered. "Yeah," he breathed. "Until I stopped him."

"Sometimes you have to." Cole's voice was curiously flat and he was staring at his cup when Jayden looked at him. "Sometimes there's no other way."

"Sometimes," Jayden echoed. Grimacing, he added, "It _sucks_."

"Sucks," Cole echoed, as though testing.

"It's – bad."

"It is," he agreed. Smiling faintly, he added, "As long as we remember that, I think we're ok."

Jayden considered asking him, but decided it didn't matter. Whatever Cole was thinking of, it clearly upset him, and Jayden didn't need to know that badly.

Besides, Merrick probably knew.

He lifted his cup again. "Here's to never having to do it again."

"Here's to no one having to do it ever again," Cole agreed, taking another sip. "That's really bitter."

Jayden smiled. "It's an acquired taste."

Cole grinned. "I could get to like it."

Jayden finished his tea, pushing back from the bar to stand. "Thanks for talking to me, Cole."

"Thank you. Hey." Cole caught his eye. "Sometimes we have to."

"Sometimes we have to," Jayden echoed. Smiling, he nodded a goodbye and headed back to join the others.

Adam had vanished somewhere; Merrick was teaching Lauren a trick shot on the pool table. Jayden applauded as he came up. "Nice, Lauren."

She grinned, leaning on her cue. "You think?"

"Yeah. He won't show me that move."

"You beat me without it last time," Merrick pointed out mildly. More seriously, he added, "Better?"

"Yeah. Is he – he didn't like fighting?" He glanced around as Cole left, waving goodbye.

Merrick shrugged, eyeing the table. "I didn't know him then. I don't think any Ranger really _likes_ fighting, though; we do it because it has to be done. Twice off the cushion into the corner."

Lauren passed the cue to Jayden, grinning. "You heard him, baby brother –"

"_Little_ brother. In fact, let's just go with brother. I'm taller than you."

" – twice off the cushion into the corner."

Jayden glanced at the table, calculating. "Tell you what, Lauren. Three times off the cushions, and into the corner, and you stop calling me baby brother."

Lauren considered the table. "Nah. I could do that shot. Twice off the cushions, one in that corner and one in that corner, and I'll think about it."

"She's such a bully," Jayden complained to Merrick, who shrugged.

"I could make that shot and I don't even have the Power. I'm sure you can do it."

"Come on, Jay, you can do anything you believe you can." Lauren smiled innocently when he glared at her. "Hey, you wanted to show me this place."

"I wanted to show you because you can get here from anywhere. No matter where we are, Lauren, we can still be together here."

Lauren grinned. "Not to mention, you wanted to show off all your friends. Just because I was completely sequestered as a child..."

"And yet she seems so normal," Jayden told Merrick, who grinned.

"I grew up three thousand years ago. I'm not the person to ask about normal teenagers nowadays."

"Three thousand?" Lauren repeated. "I thought you served ten years ago."

Merrick waved it away. "Complicated. Are you going to take the shot, Jayden?"

"I'm considering my options," Jayden told him. "And Lauren's twenty, for the record."

"Three thousand thirty five. Take the shot."

"Really?" Lauren asked in surprise.

"Probably. Our calendar doesn't really line up with yours – nice shot, Jayden."

"I wasn't looking!" Lauren protested.

"Sorry," Jayden said mildly. "Twice off the cushions, one in there and one in there. I believe I win."

He and Merrick glanced up as the door opened and Cole came in. Lauren blinked, frowning.

"Older," Jayden murmured.

Cole glanced their way, raising a hand to wave to Merrick. "Hey, Merrick!"

"A lot older," Merrick agreed, returning the wave. "He's not wearing his jacket – hi, Cole," he added as Cole joined them. "Do you know Jayden? And his sister Lauren."

"Nice to meet you." Cole shook their hands, glancing at the table. "Who's winning?"

"We're just having fun," Lauren told him.

"Huh. Merrick must be in a good mood today."

"Hey," Merrick protested, tossing him a cue. Cole caught it, grinning. "Long time."

"Mmm. Not so long." He glanced at Jayden. "You made up with Antonio?"

"Antonio?" Jayden repeated blankly.

"Cole was here when you two came in," Merrick told him. "Recently, remember?"

"Oh. Yes. That's all fine now."

"You were fighting with Antonio?" Lauren asked. "I didn't think that was possible."

"We weren't fighting. Remember just after you got back?"

"Oh...right." She nodded, turning to study the table. Jayden waited until she was about to take her shot and 'accidentally' jogged the end of her cue, sending the shot wide. She turned to glare at him and he grinned innocently. "Sorry."

She grinned suddenly. "No problem, baby brother."

"Hey! I made the shot, we had a deal!"

"I said I'd think about it. I thought about it."

"Bully," he muttered. "Is that my shot?"

"Cole should get a go," Lauren pointed out.

"This isn't really my game," Cole said quickly, offering the cue back to Merrick.

"Hey." Jayden grinned. "Sometimes we have to. Come on. Take a shot."

"Sometimes we have to," Cole murmured.

"Careful," Merrick warned Jayden softly, too softly for Cole to hear. "That was a lot longer ago for him."

Cole grinned suddenly, stepping up to the table and studying it. "We're not playing for anything, right?"

"Boasting rights," Merrick told him.

"Boasting rights," he repeated.

"We tried bets, but Lauren isn't honouring them," Jayden added, and laughed when she shoved him.

"Pick something I want to bet on, and maybe I will. It doesn't bother me to keep calling you baby brother."

"Clearly," Jayden muttered. "Well, then, loser gets drinks for the others?"

"That sounds fair," Lauren agreed. "Where's Adam? He can judge."

"I think he left."

"I'll judge," Merrick said with a smile. "Who's going first?"

"I will," Cole offered. "Set the bar low."

Lauren won that round; Jayden won the next, and when they talked Merrick into trying he won the third. Cole begged off at that point, going to meet Alyssa at the bar.

"Did you ask her for help?" Merrick asked.

"Didn't need to, in the end. Ji and my friends came to find me."

"Good friends do that." He glanced away for a moment, raising his voice to add, "Time I was going."

Jayden nodded, taking his cue from him. "See you soon, Merrick."

He racked the cue, going to join Lauren as she considered her final shot. "Giving up?"

"A Red Ranger never gives up, little brother. I'm just considering my options."

Jayden glanced at the table. "Right now, I'd say your options are give up or go home."

"So defeatist," she said with a sigh. Lining up her shot, she added, "Merrick seems nice."

"He's helped me a lot."

She glanced at him, smiling. "I'm glad, Jayden."

"You should visit here, sometimes." He stared at the table, avoiding her eyes.

"I will," she agreed. "It's nice here." She nudged him, waiting until he looked at her. "Come on. Winner takes all."

"All the nothing we've won so far?"

"Winner gets bragging rights back at the house."

"Loser," Jayden said thoughtfully, "has to lose to Mike in a sparring match – without him realising it's rigged."

Lauren narrowed her eyes. "Tricky."

"But doable, I think. I lost to Mia once."

"Once? Oooh. Big bad red ranger." She grinned, leaning back over the table. "Rack them up, brother, and let's go."


	15. Zhane, Adam, Cassie, TJ, Chip

Zhane was bored.

That was always dangerous, especially since he was relatively young and didn't know Adam as well as he would later. Adam was quietly glad this Zhane hadn't come in during the prank war. They'd never have kept him under control.

He'd been wandering around the mostly-empty restaurant, hanging over the back of Cam's booth, chatting to Fran, messing on the pool table, and now he was (badly) playing a video game. Adam watched for a while, laughing softly when he lost again.

"It's the 2D graphics," Zhane told him in disgust. "Who plays videos in 2D? Pointless."

"They're good enough for everyone on Earth," Adam said mildly.

"Well, your planet's way behind the galactic curve."

Both glanced up as the door opened, and a young Cassie and TJ came in. Adam's eyes narrowed; TJ was wearing Red, and a little mental math put this just after the Creeps, for them.

"They don't know you," he warned Zhane.

"I know," Zhane agreed. "I can read colors. When is it for them?"

"Did Cassie tell you about playing with a group? Crash and the Creeps?"

Zhane nodded slowly. "Yeah. Well, no, Carlos told me."

"They've just come from that battle. Be *careful*," he added as Zhane stood to join his soon-to-be-teammates.

"Hi!" He grinned brightly, dragging over a chair and dropping into it. "You're Cassie, right? I saw your concert, it was brilliant." He held out a hand; when she took it automatically he kissed her knuckles, smiling.

"I'm not singing with the Creeps anymore." Bemused, Cassie tugged lightly at her hand.

"Don't blame you. They were holding you back. You're way more talented than they are." Zhane turned to TJ. "I'm sorry. How rude of me. You are?"

"TJ. Who're you?"

"Cassie's biggest fan." He grinned at her again, and she laughed helplessly.

"What's going on?"

Adam turned to see Chip hanging over the edge of the booth. "Hey, Chip," he said with a grin. "Just Zhane being Zhane."

Chip nodded, sliding into the booth. Adam eyed him; it was unusual for Chip to seek him out, though he was one of the Rangers who remembered. "What's up?"

"Nothing. Just no one else here." He waved at the mostly-empty restaurant. "What exactly is Zhane doing?"

"Annoying TJ to cheer Cassie up." Both looked over as Cassie laughed, apologising in the same breath; Zhane was industriously moping up whatever he'd knocked into TJ's lap, apologising as he did so. "They'll be his teammates, but they don't know it yet. He does. And Cassie's had a bad day."

"Looks like it's getting better," Chip noted.

"Zhane's good at that - oh, good grief," he muttered as Zhane stood, holding out a hand to Cassie. "It's not like there's even any music playing," he added.

Chip grinned as the bartender, apparently by co incidence, flipped on the music system. "Ask and ye shall receive," Chip intoned solemnly, grinning at his glare.

Zhane was deliberately hamming it up to get Cassie to smile, tripping over his feet and confusing the steps. It was working, too; she looked much happier, grinning as TJ firmly stepped in. Zhane backed off obediently, leaning against the edge of Adam's booth.

"Do they get together?" Chip asked.

Zhane shook his head. "They're friends. Oooh!" He snatched up a napkin as Cassie and TJ broke apart. "Can I get your autograph, Cassie? So I can say I knew you when?"

Cassie laughed, digging a pen from a pocket. "Sure. Spell Zhane, though, I've never seen it written down."

Zhane obliged, carefully folding the napkin when she gave it back to him. "Thanks. Hey; I mean it. You're far better than those guys."

Cassie smiled, letting him kiss her hand again before heading back to her table with TJ. She looked happier as she settled back into her seat.

Zhane palmed the napkin, passing it off to Chip without being seen. "Here."

Chip frowned. "Why do I..."

"You work in that music shop, right?" Zhane grinned. "Cassie is Cassie Chan."

"Oh. Oh!" Chip smiled broadly. "Thanks!"

"I have plenty. She loves signing things. Enjoy."

Chip grinned, waving at Adam before heading out. Adam smiled, leaning against the back of the booth. "You don't have any other signatures. Cassie hardly ever signs things."

"Yeah, but he needed it more than I do. She's my friend, after all." He smiled, watching Cassie and TJ tease each other over the basket of fries.

"You did well," Adam said quietly. "She'll be fine."

"Yeah," Zhane agreed, and there was something like pride in his voice. "They both will."


	16. Kat, Kim, Kevin

Author's note; after this chapter I only have one written. Prompt me! :-D

* * *

"Um...excuse me?"

Kim looked up, vaguely surprised. "Hello?"

"It is you," boy breathed. Suddenly uncertain, he added, "Isn't it?"

"Who am I?" she prompted. Across the table, Kat was quietly laughing into her cup.

"You're Kim Hart."

"Ah. Yes, that's me." She offered her hand; the boy took it and then completely forgot to shake it. "You are?"

"Kevin," he said dazedly. Shaking himself, and her hand, he corrected himself briskly, "Kevin. I saw you win a few years ago. It was fantastic. Really fantastic."

"Thanks," she said with a grin. "Are you a gymnast?"

"Swimmer. I'm heading for the Panglobals next year; my coach thinks I can place and go on to the Olympics."

"That's brilliant," Kim said sincerely. "Well done."

Kevin grinned, and then noticed Kat. "I'm interrupting. I'm sorry..."

"No, you're fine," Kat said immediately. "I'm going to get another drink anyway. Do you want anything?"

Kim waved her away and she looked questioningly at Kevin. "Did you want anything? No, wait, let me guess. Protein shake?"

"How'd you know?' he asked blankly. Kat just grinned, heading for the bar.

"Kat used to dive," Kim explained, taking pity on him. "She knows about training diets."

"I've never heard of her," Kevin said thoughtfully.

"I never got to your level." Kat offered him his drink, gesturing to a nearby chair when he took it. "Sit. Talk to Kim about championship level athletics. The rest of us just smile and nod at her when she talks about it."

"Oh, thanks a lot," Kim protested. "You've all been humouring me?'

"Of course not," Kat said mildly. "We like hearing about it. But Kevin actually knows what it's like."

"I really don't want to intrude," Kevin said half-heartedly.

Kim rolled her eyes. "Sit, already. Who's your trainer?"

Kevin reached for the chair, giving her the name of his most recent coach, and she nodded. "I've heard of him. He's good. Trained several champions."

Kevin nodded, quickly asking about the Panglobals. He'd heard about it from other swimmers, including his coach, but Kim's experience was slightly different and he enjoyed hearing about it.

He didn't dare ask about the Olympics. That was still too far away for him to even hope to see. Besides, he'd seen the looks his father was giving him when he thought he wasn't watching. He'd seen the news from Panama City. He knew what was coming. He might not make the Panglobals.

Kat chimed in when Kim turned the conversation back to Kevin's swimming; he didn't dive at competition level, but they were able to chat about it for a while. It surprised him when he glanced at his watch and realised the time.

"Oh. I'm sorry, I need to go." He stood, pushing his chair back over to the other table. "Thanks so much for the drink. And the talk."

"It's nice to talk to someone who's trying for the Games. I'll be watching the Panglobals for you."

"Thanks." He fidgeted for a moment before blurting, "Can I have your autograph?"

Kim laughed, pulling an unused napkin from the pile on the table. "My pleasure." She wrote a quick message and signed it, pushing it across to him.

Kevin grinned, pushing it towards Kat. "You too?"

"Me?" she said in surprise.

"Please?" He smiled at her. "I don't often meet pretty divers."

Kim was laughing. Kat glared at her, taking the napkin and adding her signature under Kim's. "There."

"Thanks." He folded it very carefully, putting it into his pocket. "It was great to meet you. I'll see you around." He headed for the door, practically bouncing.

"Stop laughing," Kat ordered. Kim just laughed harder, dropping her head onto folded arms. "Traitor."

"You thought it was funny when he was talking to me!"

"You like talking to athletes! I was being nice!"

"Uh huh, really nice." Kim sat back up, taking a drink. "He seemed nice," she added innocently. Kat glared and she held up her hands defensively. "Sorry, sorry, I'm done."

"Are you? Really? No more secret fans going to jump out at us?"

"Like I planned it. Honestly, Kat. Paranoid much?"

Kat grinned, signaling a time out. "I give." Glancing towards the door, she added, "He did seem nice. And cute."

"Cradle robber," Kim said mildly. "Swimming's tough. I hope he places."

"I'm sure he will. Now." Kat leaned forward, eyes dancing. "You think I've forgotten with all the sports talk, but I haven't. Tell me about this new guy you've been seeing."

"Aw, Kat..."


	17. Wes, Jen, the ones who remember

A reviewer here on ff.n asked for Wes and Jen meeting each other between TF and WF, and everyone who remembered to be watching. Try as I may, I just couldn't come up with a reason for them to meet up during that time period, so I went with this instead. Enjoy!

Chapter Seventeen

Contrary to popular opinion, Adam did leave the Ranger's Rest. So did Cam; they both maintained full lives outside the confines of the mystical spot. The restuarant did occasionally close, after all; there were times when there were no Rangers in there at all, or perhaps only one or two, the more reclusive ones. Adam tended to be there when important things happened, though, because he both remembered and knew most of the Rangers outside of Ranger's Rest.

Today he walked in to a funereal atmosphere and almost everyone who remembered gathered around his booth.

"What's going on?" He glanced at the ceiling as he sat. "Are the lights out?"

"Atmosphere," Chip told him, grinning.

"Don't grin," Maddie admonished him. Adam made a point of smiling at her; Maddie often came to Ranger's Rest, but she mostly kept to herself, mostly because she didn't remember, exactly. Used to looking at things in terms of narrative, she'd quickly picked up the discrepencies of Ranger's Rest, but there was no sign she remembered specifics from one visit to the next. "It's sad, why is no one doing anything?"

"He's getting what he needs." Merrick was leaning against the wall, eyes on a table near the middle of the floor. Adam turned in his seat to follow his gaze.

Wes was sitting at the table, surrounded by glasses. Eric was at the next table, watching him with a scowl.

"What's wrong with Eric?" Adam asked, glancing around the table and settling on Trini. She was an even more infrequent visitor than Maddie, and her visits were always strictly linear on her own timeline.

"Wes tried to hit him," she said quietly.

"What?"

"His team's just gone," Zhane offered. The normally effervescent Silver Ranger was quiet and solemn. "Eric tried to convince him he'd had enough to drink, and Wes tried to hit him. Eric nearly left him here until we persuaded him to wait a bit."

"How long has he been here?"

"I've been here two hours, and he was already drunk by then," Merrick offered.

"We were here before that," Chip agreed. "Maybe another hour earlier?"

"Has anyone talked to him?"

"Everyone's talked to him," Cam said shortly. "He doesn't want to be talked to; he wants to get drunk."

"With all of us here to watch?" Jayden asked. Like Adam, he had his back to Wes, and unlike Adam he wasn't turning to look. "Why would he want that?"

"We're not all here. Tommy isn't..." The door jingled, and Cam cut himself off, scowling.

Adam waved Tommy over, watching as Chip and Maddie shifted in to make room for him. "Strange to see you here," he murmured, doing the math quickly. Tommy was somewhere post Dino Thunder, but not yet as far along as Operation Overdrive. That wasn't uncommon for Tommy; he'd never visited twice linearly, as far as Adam knew.

"Strange to be here. It wasn't in the plan for today. What's going on?" Tommy glanced over Adam's shoulder at the occupied tables. "When are they from?" he asked, glancing back at Adam.

"End of the year," he said with a sigh.

"Jen and the others just left?"

"Yeah." Adam leaned back, watching him. "You worked with them some then, didn't you?"

"Andros' search for the Machine Empire; Mr Collins was producing some of our tech."

"You remember this?"

"A bit. Wes was very upset for a while. Jen comes back, though." He glanced at Merrick, who nodded.

"It'll be some time yet, though. Wild Force was active for seven or eight moons - months - before Jen's return."

Something smashed and everyone instinctively looked over - except Jayden, Adam noticed, who was still trying not to watch. Wes was on his feet, but only because Eric was holding him up, hands wrapped tightly around his arms.

Cam rolled his eyes, stepping around the others to join the two Guardians. "Ready to leave?" he suggested mildly.

"He's crying on me," Eric muttered.

"That'll happen," Cam agreed. "Will he leave? Can you get him home?"

"Yeah, I can."

"Need a hand?"

"No. Thanks."

"Take care."

He came back to the group, watching as Eric maneuvered Wes out of the door. "That was real alcohol," he said mildly.

"I didn't get here in time," Zhane said defensively. "Anyway Ranger's Rest should have those drinks all the time."

"You think alcohol's great for heart ache," Adam reminded him.

"It can be great without making everyone sick afterwards," he muttered.

"You said his girlfriend comes back?" Maddie asked queitly.

Adam nodded. "Within a year. He's all right before that, even."

Ryan came in, glancing briefly at them before settling at another table. Cassie and TJ were on his heels, and Mack and Ronnie were a minute behind them, arguing amicably.

"Looks like it's all over," Cam said, glancing around the group once before turning away to settle in his own booth. Merrick headed for a table, settling in with a book, and Chip pulled Maddie away to sit in another booth.

"Nothing like the end of the entertainment to clear out the crowd," Zhane said lightly.

"It wasn't entertainment," Jayden pointed out.

"Killjoy."

"Who's teaching you earth slang?" Adam demanded.

"It wasn't entertaining," Jayden insisted.

"We weren't entertained," Trini assured him. "Zhane's just being flip because he's worried and he thinks if he pokes fun we won't notice."

"Hey!" Zhane protested. Trini smiled sweetly and he made a face, looking away.

Merrick was back, leaning against the end of the booth. "Don't look now," he murmured, and everyone automatically turned towards the door.

"Trip, I don't want to go out drinking," Jen, in full Time Force uniform, was protesting. Her team were completely ignoring her, sweeping her into a seat and boxing her in.

Adam blinked. "Ouch. I've never seen them from that far in the future. That's...really disconcerting."

"How far in the future?" Jayden asked curiously.

"Thousand years. I'm guessing this is just after they left this time, after capturing Ransik."

"They *caught* their bad guy?" Jayden repeated.

"First and only team, so far," Zhane agreed cheerfully, signalling to the waitress. She nodded, distributing a round of drinks to Jen's table and brushing aside their questions. "And not only did they catch him, he reformed. He helped them nail some of Wild Force's bad guys."

"Seriously," Adam said with a sigh. "Earth slang. Who's teaching you? They need to teach you less and Andros - any."

"My lips are sealed," Zhane said solemnly.

Another round appeared at the booth - non alcoholic, Adam was glad to see - and they settled in for another afternoon. Merrick and Jayden went back to the pool table, as they often did, and Adam spent some time catching up with Trini and Tommy. Zhane floated group to group, as he often did; the highlight was probably the duel he got into with Chip over Maddie's honor, swords helpfully provided by Jayden. It ended up with Chip chasing Zhane around the room while he squealed for TJ or Maddie to protect him; both were laughing too hard to move, sadly, and eventually Zhane dived behind the counter, immediately popping back up to serve Mack, who took it completely in stride and started ordering something hideously complicated.

"Why does he do that?" Tommy asked, turning back from where they'd been watching.

"He does it because we need it," Adam told him. "You know that. That's what he's here for. I'm here to listen; Cam's here for perspective; Jayden's here to explain, Merrick's here to be alone with. Zhane's here to draw us out of ourselves, when that's what we need."

"Men!" Jen said loudly from her table. "Stupid idiots all!" Katie tipped glasses with her; Trip and Lucas mumbled something that might have been agreement, Lucas glancing around to make sure they weren't being overheard.

"Oh, look, we've reached the angry stage," Zhane said, climbing over Trini with an apologetic grin. "Sorry, don't want Chip to see me."

"What did you do, exactly?"

"Nothing! Just complimented her hair!"

"Uh huh," Adam agreed.

Jen abruptly burst into tears and Trini abandoned the booth to go and offer her help. Zhane sat back, looking relieved. "Good."

"Good?" Tommy repeated.

"Repression is an ugly thing, Tommy." He glanced pointlessly at his watch; time pieces didn't work in Ranger's Rest, and he knew that as well as anyone. "Time I wasn't here. Gotta get back to that year I'm in. Hey, Adam, has anyone ever left Ranger's Rest into the wrong time period?"

"No."

"What if I leave at the same time as Tommy?"

"Something'll delay one of you. You'll trip up or someone'll step in front of you or something. Don't test it."

"Take your word for it," he agreed cheerfully. "See you later." He stepped aside to let Lauren in, grinning cheerfully at her as he left.

"Where's Fran?" Tommy asked abruptly.

"Dunno. Wasn't needed, I guess; they don't need intervention. Jayden's playing pool, Lauren."

"Of course he is," she agreed exasperatedly. "He never does anything else here." Catching sight of Jen, she added, "Everything ok?"

"Bad breakup. It'll be ok in a year or so."

"Anything I can do?"

"I don't think so, but we'll call you if you can. Go ahead."

"More people remember every time I turn around," Tommy complained lightly.

"Lauren trained as long as Jayden. Exactly as long as him. She earned her remembering. Anyway, if you visited more this wouldn't be a surprise."

Tommy grinned ruefully. "Yeah. Maybe. I'm going to head out, Adam. I'll see you around, ok?"

"Sure, Tommy. Take it easy."

Trini came back a while later, sliding back into the booth. Jen had calmed down and she and her team were talking quietly, conversation punctuated by an occasional soft laugh.

"Better?" Adam asked anyway.

"Much," Trini agreed. "She'll start getting past it now."

"Good." He glanced over as Lauren waved one of the swords at Jayden, who managed to look contrite and defiant at the same time. "That was one of our more exciting afternoons."

"More than the prank war?"

"Maybe not as much as the prank war."

"I heard stories about you, you know. Setting a bad example for the younger Rangers by getting drunk? Shocked, Adam, really shocked."

"Why, who's talking about me? Trini? Who's talking about me? Trini!"


	18. Trip and Chip, background Mystics

Trip waved goodnight to Katie, settling in. Final exams were tomorrow and he planned to spend a while longer studying; he'd already spent some time quizzing and being quizzed by Katie, but he was desperate to pass with his group.

"Excuse me?"

He looked up at a red-haired guy. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt. Did she call you Trip?"

"Yes." He was used to this; Xyberians were still relatively rare on Earth, and his true name was mostly unprounceable.

"That's awesome. My name's Chip."

Trip grinned. "Nice to meet you, Chip."

His gem sparked and he frowned at the sense of power. That was something he'd only sensed from Time Force's Rangers before. And Alex was the only Ranger active at the moment.

"Something wrong?" Chip asked warily.

"No, nothing."

"Ok. Well, you're busy, I won't interrupt you any more." He grinned, turning away.

Trip considered his notes for a moment. "Wait."

"Yeah?" Chip turned back, grinning.

"I could use a break. Sit down. I've never heard the name Chip before."

"Really?" Chip pulled over a chair, glancing around for the waitress. "I've never heard the name Trip before. I have a friend who'd love your hair, by the way."

Trip touched it automatically. "Yeah?" he asked, and his tone was defensive but he couldn't help it; he'd been teased a lot over it before Jen, and Katie and Lucas, had befriended him.

"Yeah, she's always colouring her hair, but she's never managed quite that shade."

Trip found himself relaxing; Chip's grin was open and friendly. "Thanks," he mumbled, lowering his hand with an effort.

The waitress arrived with two drinks and a basket of fries. "You know they call these chips in Europe?" she commented idly. "Enjoy, gentlemen."

Chip laughed, reaching for a handful. "Thanks."

Trip frowned, taking a smaller handful. "That doesn't bother you?"

"Nah. Chip's just my nickname, anyway."

"Nickname," Trip echoed.

"Well, my real name is Charles. But that's really formal and boring, so my friends call me Chip."

"Trip's a nickname, too."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I...my name's really hard to pronounce, and I guess I'm kind of clumsy, so..."

"That's not very kind," Chip protested.

"No, it doesn't matter now. My friends use it." He was smiling, he realised suddenly. It felt good.

Chip was nodding. "I know how that can be. Good friends?"

"The best."

They finished the fries in companionable silence; Chip tugged over the pad Trip was using and scanned through the notes on it. "Law enforcement?" he said finally.

"Final exams," Trip agreed mournfully. "Tomorrow."

"I could quiz you?" Chip suggested uncertainly. "I never even *heard* of half these laws."

"No." Trip took the pad back. "Thanks, but I actually think I'm pretty ok. Katie and I were testing each other and I got most of them right."

"Good. I hate taking exams. I always stay up too late studying and then I can't even think straight the next day."

"Hey, Chip!" someone called from the back of the room. Chip waved without looking and the voice insisted, "Are you coming back or what?"

"In a minute!" Chip hollered.

"Am I keeping you from something?" Trip asked.

"Nah, they'll be ok."

"Are you sure? I don't want to hold you up."

"It's all good."

A tall dark haired man about their age appeared, leaning on the back of one of the free chairs. "Chip, you gonna hang out here all night?"

"Maybe." Chip grinned. "Xander, meet Trip."

Xander blinked but seemed to take it in stride. "Hi, Trip, nice to meet you. Great hair, Vida'd love it. Don't be afraid to tell Chip to get lost if he's bothering you, we do it all the time."

"Yeah, thanks for that, by the way," Chip agreed mock-angrily.

"Any time, buddy."

"No, he's fine," Trip said, staring at Xander.

Xander frowned, glancing down at himself. "Did I spill something? No comments from the peanut gallery," he added without looking at Chip, who pouted exaggeratedly.

"No." Trip hurriedly looked down. "Sorry. It's your accent. I've never heard it before."

"What, never met any Aussies? Poor bloke. Strewth, that's a load of cobblers..."

"I think cobblers is British slang," Chip offered. "Xander's from Australia," he added to Trip. "He doesn't really talk like that."

"Throw another shrimp on the barbie!" Xander put in.

"Xander, quit it."

"Australia," Trip repeated. "I've never been there."

"You should go sometime," Xander said cheerfully. "Chip, I'll go tell the others you're throwing us over for your cool new friend."

"Thanks Xander!" Chip watched him go, grinning.

Trip was still staring at the table, and Chip said quietly, "He's loud, but he's a good guy."

"He seems very nice," Trip agreed without looking up. Xander had tripped his gem the same way Chip did, and he was trying to work out why. They weren't Time Force; he was sure about that.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Trip looked up finally, grinning. "He said I was cool."

"Well, yeah," Chip agreed, as though it was obvious.

Trip grinned, so delighted that he didn't even mind when each of Chip's friends, in turn, found increasingly flimsy reasons to stop by their table. Maddie got away with hers, stopping to ask if they wanted drinks on her way to the bar, but by the time Nick stopped - "I saw your phone on the counter earlier, did you grab it?" - it was clear what they were doing, and the two just laughed when Vida finally showed up.

She eyed them for a moment, arms crossed, and then turned to Trip, who hastily tried to compose himself. "So you're Trip, huh?" She studied him for a moment more before grinning. "Cool hair."


	19. Cam, Adam, Fran, Reds

Cam was jumpy.

That wasn't really normal; he spent most of his time in the Ranger's Rest alone, and no one ever came after him. He was here to relax and no one intruded on him.

But today, he was jumpy. He couldn't explain it; he couldn't put his finger on anything that was causing it. Ranger's Rest was busy, but it was often busy; that alone shouldn't be enough to upset him.

He caught Fran's eye as she went to the bar, and she detoured to come and join him. "What's wrong?" she asked quietly.

"What's going on?" he asked, glancing around.

"I don't know."

"Fran..."

"I don't know," she insisted.

"Something's happening."

"I don't know what." She glanced around the room.

Cam followed her gaze and then frowned as he realised something. "Are you here with someone?"

"Casey... Why?"

"Can you leave him for a minute?"

"Yeah."

He headed for Adam's booth, feeling Fran on his heels. Adam glanced up as they arrived, making room without questioning.

"Why are there so many Reds here?" Cam demanded, leaning forward over the table. He ignored the fact that Adam was younger than normal; he'd still know who Cam was.

"Are there?" Fran asked in surprise, leaning out of the booth to study the room again.

"You didn't notice?"

"I don't think in colours, Cam."

Adam shook his head. "I don't know why."

"Something has to be happening," Cam insisted. "Look at them, Adam."

"I see them," Adam agreed.

"When are they from?"

"Do you want the list? '94, '96, '98..."

"Not like that," Fran said suddenly. "Ranger careers."

Adam looked around again, frowning as he calculated. "I don't know most of them," he said finally. "Not out of context. But the ones I know, they're all at least a year after they stopped being Rangers. There's Jason, and Rocky's with me, he just went to the bar. Tommy's over there somewhere, but he's older."

The door opened and all three looked up. Zhane ushered Andros in, chattering madly; he got him seated at a table, waved at the waitress, and then made straight for Adam's booth, almost sitting on Fran before he registered her.

"Help me," he said urgently.

"What's wrong?" Adam asked.

"Andros, he's..." Zhane shoved both hands through his hair, uncharacteristically agitated.

"How long has your war been over?" Cam asked quietly.

"What? A while. Year and a half, maybe. Why?"

"Fran, can you get Tommy?" Adam asked. Fran nodded, hurrying across the room, and Adam continued to Zhane, "Some of the Rangers, after it's done - they realise it's done. Some of us don't handle it very well. Do you remember me getting drunk in here?"

"Once," Zhane agreed vaguely.

Adam glanced up as Tommy joined them. "The team after me - I convinced myself they needed help, and I morphed on a broken morpher to do it, and nearly killed myself on it."

"Saved Carlos' life," Tommy said neutrally.

"Almost at the cost of my own, because I didn't think - if I'm not a Ranger, I'm not anything; that's what it feels like, for some of us. Mostly Reds, because they have Team to worry about. But sometimes others, too."

Cam glanced around the room, realising what was going on. "All the Reds are here. For him? Will he listen to Reds?"

Zhane shrugged. "It's all I can do to get him to listen to me. Are you telling me this happens to every Red? Why didn't anyone mention it?"

"It doesn't always happen," Tommy told him. "Jason was fine. TJ was all right. Carter was fine - but Adam, and Rocky, and me, to various levels. Jayden and Lauren, you might not know them..."

"Jayden, yeah. I don't know Lauren, though."

"She doesn't come much." Adam looked around the room, finally pointing out Lauren with Jayden at the pool table. "They both remember, and Jayden's often here. But they were both raised to fight, they weren't given anything else, and a little while after their war ended Jayden just gave up. And once he was on the mend Lauren went down. Their team really had to work to help them."

"I don't remember that," Cam murmured.

"They weren't coming in here much."

"What do I do?" Zhane asked helplessly.

Adam considered. "Will he talk to us?"

"He doesn't know you. All of you. Anyone. Just the team."

"Doesn't matter, if he'll talk to us. Is he talking?"

"Yeah. Some."

"Some's enough." Adam looked at Tommy. "You want to go first?"

"Better not; I know him, and I don't trust myself not to say something he shouldn't know yet."

"He won't remember," Adam pointed out.

"If he's post Ranger depression? He'll remember what we say. Where's Rocky?"

"Got hung up on the Pachinko machine." Adam gestured towards the counter, smiling faintly at the look of alarm on Tommy's face. "At least it's safe here."

"Yeah. I guess."

"Come on," Adam said to Zhane. "Introduce me."

"He knows you."

"Maybe."

Andros glanced up as they sat, studying Adam for a moment. "Adam," he said dully.

"Andros," Adam replied. "How are you doing?"

"Fine," Andros said unconvincingly. "You?"

"Fine, thanks." He produced the broken morpher he still carried around, dropping it on the table between them.

Andros studied it for a moment before looking up. "It's broken."

"Yes."

"It was broken when you used it."

"Yes," Adam agreed, quietly wondering why Carlos hadn't told Andros that part of the story; he'd thought the whole team had known. An attempt to protect him, Adam supposed, grateful to his student.

"Why did you do it, then? You know what morphing on a damaged morpher can do."

Adam shrugged. "Why shouldn't I? What better way to go out? I wasn't doing anything good anyway."

"You..." Andros caught himself, shaking his head.

"I?" Adam prompted him.

"Were helping Carlos."

"Ranger duty, yeah. You don't leave your team behind... But I wasn't doing anything worthwhile with my life, so I might as well do something worthwhile with my death."

Zhane shifted. Adam ignored him, eyes on Andros.

"It's not the same," Andros said finally.

"Why not?"

"You defeated your villain."

"So did you."

"iZordon/i did."

"And we didn't defeat Divatox; we retired while she was still active. Still the only full team in Earth's history to walk away before defeating our villain."

"It's not the same," Andros grated.

"No," Adam agreed. "It's never the same, from one person to another. But we're always - it seems like nothing else will ever be worth it again, not ever." He nudged the morpher lightly. "The day I used that, I came in here and got very, very drunk. My last link to my team, my last chance to make a difference, was gone. That was it for me, I thought."

Andros was listening. Adam took a deep breath, turning to scan the tables. "Jason!"

"Yeah?" Jason lifted a hand from a nearby table; he was wearing black, Adam noted with relief.

"Borrow you for a second?"

"Sure."

"Jason was Earth's first Red," he murmured to Andros, who straightened unconsciously in his seat. Jason dropped into a free seat, smiling at them vaguely and then looking again.

"You're Andros," he said after a moment. "And Zhane. Astro Rangers. I didn't know you were on Earth."

"Flying visit," Zhane said, watching Andros to make sure the remark hadn't triggered anything. Adam wondered for a moment where Andros thought they were.

"Jason, I was just telling Andros about the Peace Conference you guys went to after you passed on your powers."

Jason nodded. "Yeah, that was great. Trini's a diplomat now, attached to the United Nations. And Zack was so good at getting people to listen, he went the whole hog, got his qualifications. He's a psychologist now."

Adam nodded. "And you run a martial arts school now."

"Yep. Kids, women, that kind of thing."

"Thanks," Adam said quietly. Jason shrugged, pushing to his feet.

"You did a great thing for our planet," he said, including both Astros in his look. "I know from what the others have told me that it wasn't easy, and I'm sorry for that. But thank you, for what you did."

"You're welcome," Zhane said, when Andros just sputtered. Jason grinned, tipping his forehead and wandering back to his seat.

"He was Zordon's first chosen," Andros hissed.

"Yes," Adam agreed.

"He doesn't seem angry or anything," Zhane said, in his most innocent tone.

"Hey." Rocky leaned on the back of Adam's chair. "Heard there were heroes hiding out over here, thought I'd come do my part to kill your cover."

"Well, heroes is a big word," Adam said, glancing at Zhane.

"But absolutely accurate," the Silver Ranger said solemnly. "I'm sorry, I don't know who you are."

"Rocky. I was on the Zeo and Morphin' teams with Adam - Blue and Red."

"Rocky co owns Jason's school," Adam said.

"Urgh. Speaking of. I have class early tomorrow, I'd better be going. Adam?"

"I'll be behind you," Adam said, watching Andros. Rocky nodded, heading off with a wave at Jason's table.

Rocky seemed to have started something. TJ stopped by to say hello and tell them about his new job; life as a member of the first known team agreed with him. After TJ it was Carter, still working for Lightspeed, and after him Wes with Eric lurking behind him.

When Wes and Eric left Zhane murmured something to Andros and headed for the bar, nudging Adam on the way. Andros watched without reacting as Adam followed Zhane.

"How is this helping?" Zhane murmured, waving absently at the barman.

Adam shrugged, leaning against the bar. "Life goes on. It doesn't feel like it, at the end... But it does go on, Zhane."

"I'm not the one with the problem!" he hissed.

"That's why we're seeing Reds instead of Sixths."

"Andros doesn't know these people. He won't hear them."

"They're Red. He'll hear enough."

Cole was already at the table when they got back, apparently showing photos of his team. Andros was, at least, being polite, and if Cole was put off by the less than effusive answers, he didn't show it.

They listened to Cole until Taylor came to haul him away. Andros picked moodily at the fries, managing to eat a handful. From the look on Zhane's face, Adam guessed he hadn't been eating very well lately.

Dustin leaned over the back of Adam's chair, snaking a handful of fries when he turned. "What's up?"

"You know, they put those on every table. You really don't need to steal mine," Adam said mildly.

"Yours taste better," Dustin explained.

"Mine taste better," Adam echoed.

"Sure. Everyone knows that. Hey, dudes," he added towards Andros and Zhane. "What you can't have is always better," he continued to Adam.

"Like being a Ranger?" Adam asked.

"What?"

"Seems brilliant until you have to do it?'

Dustin shook his head firmly. "It was brilliant. Best thing I've ever done."

Andros stirred. "What if nothing else is ever as good?"

Dustin shrugged easily. "Then I did one bright, shining thing in my life, and I'll have a ireally/i good story to tell when I'm old and grey."

He reached for the plate of fries again, and Adam slapped his hand away. "Go bother someone else," he ordered, and Dustin grinned, wandering off.

Conner had just opened another soccer camp and was very pleased to have a more or less captive audience to tell about it. Andros listened with a faintly baffled air, but he waited until Conner was gone to ask Adam "What's soccer?"

Nick and his father appeared before Adam could answer. He barely knew Leanbow - he, Daggeron, and Udonna kept very much to themselves - but he knew the old warrior had served as his team's Red, and he knew the basics of Koragg and the fight against the Master.

Zhane whisked both Nick and Adam away to the bar, leaving Leanbow to talk to Andros. Adam couldn't hear them, but Andros looked thoughtful when Zhane let them go back to the table. Nick didn't stay, heading back to his mother, and Leanbow followed him after only a minute.

Mack was the closest to the end of his war, still flush with the joy of his new humanity. He chattered happily about treasure hunting with his father and about his plans to visit Ty and Vella on Mercuria. Andros followed that part a bit better, at least, dredging up some vague information about the planet. Mack listened eagerly, asking questions and clarifying various points; when he took out a notebook to write the information down, Zhane caught Rose's eye and she came to drag him away, still writing.

"Mercuria sounds nice," Adam ventured.

"It's always cold there," Andros murmured. "Much colder than here."

Casey talked about the Pai Zhua school, about Jarrod and Camille who had healed there, and about Jungle Karma Pizza, where his team had found a home, and a safe place. Andros listened, eyes locked on his glass, and didn't ask questions; Zhane and Adam filled in, talking quietly for a few minutes until Casey excused himself to rejoin Fran.

Jayden, when he came to the table, took one look and shook his head. "Come and play pool."

"I don't know pool," Andros said without looking up.

"Neither did I, until a Ranger taught me. Come on. Try it."

"Liar," Zhane sputtered. "You're good at pool even without cheating."

Andros glared at him. "I don't want to play."

"That's not the same thing, is it."

He snorted, glancing at Jayden. "Are you going to tell me how great your life was after you were a Ranger?"

"My life was awful after I was a Ranger." Andros looked up, attention caught, and Jayden shrugged. "I trained for years. Longer than I can remember. When that was gone, when I didn't need - it went badly, for a long time."

Andros studied him for a long moment. "What happened?"

"My team is stubborn. And I found - there's other things. Worthwhile things. Not the same, but just as good." He glanced at the pool table. "Come and play."

"Is it a worthwhile thing, pool?"

Jayden smiled. "Try it and then tell me."

Andros glanced at Zhane, who waved him off. "Go. Try it. I'm just going to talk to Adam for a minute." Andros followed Jayden, joining Lauren and examining the pool cue curiously, and Zhane turned to Adam. "How much will he remember?"

"Most of it, I think. Not who he talked to, just that there were other Rangers - and that he isn't alone. That's the important bit, really."

"You really nearly killed yourself?"

"Yeah. You weren't there; off with the rebels, I think."

Zhane considered for a moment. "That was pretty stupid," he decided.

"Oh, and getting struck by lightning isn't?"

"That was to recharge my morpher! It was important!"

"Uh huh," Adam agreed. Zhane glanced over at the pool table and Adam followed his gaze. "Let him be. He's fine."

Zhane studied him. "Have you seen him in the future?"

"You know I can't tell you. Also, I'm twenty. You're only a year gone."

"That doesn't mean you haven't seen him in his future."

"He's fine," Adam said firmly. "Now pass over those fries before Dustin makes another round."

"Do they really taste better from someone else's plate?"

"I don't know. Go eat someone's and tell me." Zhane eyed the nearest table and Adam shook his head, laughing. "No. Don't eat someone else's fries, Zhane."

"You Earthlings. Can't make up your minds about anything..."


	20. Lauren, Karone

Lauren was a little bemused when she entered the Ranger's Rest and didn't see anyone she recognised.

She didn't come here often. Jayden loved it here, and she was glad; the older Ranger, Merrick, was good for him, and it was nice to have a place where they didn't have to hide, where other people knew what they'd gone through. She was still getting used to being around people, though, too long spent with only her mentor. She made the effort to come because it made Jayden happy, but she rarely came without him.

So she couldn't explain today's visit, only that she'd noticed the doorway and decided on a whim to come in.

Adam's booth was empty. Some kids she didn't recognise were messing at the pool table. Even Cam seemed to be absent; they'd barely passed more than half a dozen words, but she liked him. He was honest and forthright, and she thought he cared a lot more than he showed.

Dropping into a seat at the bar, she smiled at the bartender. "Hi."

"On your own?" He set a smoothie in front of her and reached for a plate of fries.

"No fries, thank you," she said quickly. He raised an eyebrow, and she added, "I'm not sure what I want yet, but no fries."

"Your choice," he agreed easily. "Where's your brother? Don't often see you in here without him."

"He went off with Antonio on a boy's day out." Taking a sip of the smoothie, she added, "This is really good."

He grinned at her. "Thanks! Most people don't like that one. Give a shout when you know what you want."

"I will, thank you." She took another sip, turning to study the room.

The kids on the pool table looked absurdly young. Lauren wondered absently if they were Rangers yet; she knew the earlier Earth teams had been school aged, but in more recent years they were normally older.

"They've just been Called," someone said, and she turned in surprise. "Sorry," the young woman added. "That's what you were wondering, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Lauren glanced back at the group. "Just been Called on their timeline or mine?"

The woman laughed. "Theirs. I'm not Adam, I don't know your timeline. Fran."

"Lauren."

"I know." She picked up a pile of napkins. "Jayden's not here?"

"Out with Antonio - we're not joined at the hip, you know."

"Oh, I know!" Fran said hastily. "It's just usually you come in with him, but of course you can come in without him, he comes in without you, not that he's coming in behind your back, I'm sure he isn't hiding anything..."

"Breathe," Lauren said in some alarm. Fran cut off, smiling in some embarrassment.

"Sorry. I do that. Can I introduce you to someone?"

She caught Lauren's wrist, tugging gently until she slipped off her stool. Lauren followed her, vaguely confused, to a table where another young woman was sitting.

"Hi, Karone," she said brightly.

"Hi, Fran," Karone said just as cheerfully, putting down her magazine. "What's up?"

Fran grinned, turning to Lauren. "You remember when the Astro Rangers saved Earth from Astronema?"

"Ye-es," Lauren said doubtfully. "I was seven or eight."

"Karone's brother is the Red Astro Ranger. Karone, meet Lauren, her brother's a Red Ranger too."

"Nice to meet you," Karone said with a smile, waving to the second chair.

Lauren sat and Fran turned to go, pausing to suggest, "Try the chicken salad, it's really good."

"Thanks," Lauren agreed, watching her go.

"She's always like that," Karone murmured.

"She seems nice," Lauren said helplessly.

"And enthusiastic," Karone agreed. "Your brother's a Red Ranger?"

"Jayden."

Karone studied her for a moment. "And so are you. Same team?" Lauren frowned, and Karone grinned. "I live with my brother and whichever of his teammates happen to be around, I know how to read colours. That's not 'support of my brother' red, that's 'I'm a Red' red."

Lauren fingered her top, sighing. "We're retired, and I still can't stop wearing it."

"Most Rangers can't," Karone agreed. "It never bothered me, but I have magic; that might have disrupted it some."

Lauren studied her before shaking her head in defeat. "I see black, but I've never heard of a team with a female Black."

"I was Pink. The colour thing just never really affected me. I'm the only Ranger I know who wasn't bothered by it."

The chicken salad arrived - Lauren didn't bother wondering how, since she hadn't ordered it and Fran hadn't spoken to the waitress - and she offered some to Karone. They ate in companionable silence for a while.

"Your brother," Karone said eventually, pushing the plate away and reaching for her glass. "Did he have really stupid plans?"

"We weren't on the team at the same time," Lauren said apologetically. "But, yeah, his friends tell me he had a habit of running off so they wouldn't be in danger."

"Danger?"

She rolled her eyes. "Two of our villains were going specifically for him. He didn't want the others to be collateral damage."

"Andros did that, too," Karone agreed. "Think it's a Red thing?"

"I never felt the need."

"Yeah, but you're a woman, we don't do that." Karone considered her. "How long were you Red for?"

Lauren thought about it. "Three days?"

"And Jayden?"

"Nearly two years. What about Andros?"

"Nearly four. Maybe it's a Red thing that develops over time."

"Maybe," Lauren agreed diplomatically.

Karone leaned forward, grinning. "Does he scare off your dates?"

"Um. I haven't...had any? So no. And I don't think he will, he has Ji for that. He'll just be nice and friendly and completely terrifying. Does Andros?"

Karone laughed. "He still thinks I'm going out with Zhane. We haven't disabused him."

Lauren caught the waitress' eye and gestured for more drinks. "Really? I have a teammate I bet I could get to go along with that. How well does that work?"

"Eeeh..." Karone rocked a hand back and forth. "Better some days than others."

The drinks arrived - along with a plate of fries; Lauren gave in, since someone clearly wanted her to have them - and the conversation drifted. Karone had an odd turn of phrase sometimes, and she referred to things Lauren had never heard, but she was used to that. Mike still hadn't grasped that she didn't really know any TV shows or movies.

"So. The most important question," Karone declared, and Lauren wondered again if the other girl was drinking alcohol, "Would you swap him if you could?"

"No," Lauren said automatically, and then frowned. "Who am I swapping him for?"

"Doesn't matter, you already said no, that counts." She studied her glass for a moment. "I wouldn't either," she added softly.

"Annoying, but worth it," Lauren suggested.

"Annoying but worth it. I like it." Karone lifted her glass and Lauren clinked dutifully. Glancing around, Karone leaned in to ask confidentially, "Did Jayden make really cheesy speeches about working together and overcoming all obstacles?"

Fran glanced up at the laughter from behind her. Glancing around, she nodded with satisfaction. She'd thought those two might get on well.

"Stop gloating," the barman told her.

"You're just jealous," she said airily, grinning at the look on his face and heading back to her seat.


End file.
